In which decade did the concept of time-sharing or resource pooling for computing power begin to develop?

The development of time-sharing and resource pooling for computing power can be traced back to the 1960s. This was a significant period in the evolution of computing, where the limitations of earlier batch processing systems became apparent. Time-sharing allowed multiple users to access and utilize a central computer simultaneously, dramatically increasing efficiency and accessibility.

During this decade, groundbreaking projects like MIT's Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) and later the development of MULTICS (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) were initiated, demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of this approach in computing. This innovation laid the groundwork for modern concepts of cloud computing and virtualization, where resources can be effectively shared and utilized across multiple users and applications.

The 1960s marked the transition from large, expensive mainframe systems to more interactive computing models, fundamentally changing how computational resources were perceived and utilized.