the csd was one of the first numerical scientific databases to begin operations anywhere in the world, and received academic grants from the uk office for scientific and technical information and then from the uk science and engineering research council. these funds, together with subventions from national affiliated centres, enabled the development of the csd and its associated software during the 1970s and 1980s. the first releases of the csd system to the united states, italy and japan occurred in the early 1970s. by the early 1980s the csd system was being distributed in more than 30 countries. as of 2014, the csd system was distributed to academics in 70 countries.