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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

2539.0. "EPUBS - We still in this space?" by SALSA::ABELSON (FUD-Fear,Uncertainty,Downsize) Fri Jun 11 1993 18:48

    Does anyone know what we're doing in the Electronic Publishing space?
    
    This *used* to be a "big" technology at DEC, but it seems to have gone
    by the way side.
    
    Do we still have an EPUBs group?  Can anyone direct me to a contact for
    discussion?
    
    Thanks in advance
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2539.1Here is some info on Tech EPUBSESGWST::HALEYbecome a wasp and hornetFri Jun 11 1993 20:0316
There are some people doing quite a bit in the Technical EPUBS business.  
We purchased equity (80%?) in a company called EA Systems that offers 
imaging, retreival, management mark-up etc.  They are located in Alameda 
California.  You can reach Warren Neuburger at dtn 521-6701.  He is the new 
technical director there.

Uri Klement in Marlboro runs a group doing document management and release, 
review, approval and PDM functions.  Both Warren and Uri work for Ollie 
Stone in Roberson's organization.

Eric Reich in the Aerospace IBU was ersponsible for marketing inthe 
technical area.  He reports into Diane Albano's organization.

I am totally ignorant of our offerings in the office area.

Matt
2539.2Not epubs36417::CHERSONthe door goes on the rightFri Jun 11 1993 20:548
    No, we are not in the the epubs business, that belongs to companies
    like Interleaf, Frame, et.al.  We "push" document management, mostly
    3rd party tools and our consulting.
    
    EA is NOT a publishing vendor, they have applications for managing
    engineering documents.
    
    /d.c.
2539.3KP7 and come join us16BITS::DELBALSOI (spade) my (dog face)Sat Jun 12 1993 00:5210
Well, VAX DOCUMENT is still a product which we are selling and actively
developing. We are just now completing a very intensive VoC activity
to determine our future strategy. There are many conferences on the
Easynet which deal with active Epubs products and the issues surrounding
them. MLTVAX::DOCUMENT is but one. If you want more info regarding
strategies and directions on individual products, I'd suggest following
some of the individual product conferences and their companions.

-Jack
   VAX DOCUMENT Engineering
2539.4set host EASIZPOVC::HWCHOYMostly on FIRE!Sun Jun 13 1993 04:455
    Well EA Systems (EASI) is apparently largely populated by ex-DECcies.
    You can reach their system via EASYnet node EASI 30.36 but I don't
    have any usernames on hand. As stated in a previous note, they are in
    the business of managing electronic engineering documents (for those
    for building warships, massive civil projects,...)
2539.5E-PUBS IN WORKGROUPASABET::MCDONNELLMon Jun 14 1993 14:2913
    Suggest the author of .0 contact the Workgroup Systems Group @ZKO
    (Nashua, NH). WGS, under the management of Barry Reynolds, now includes 
    the former Electronic Publishing Systems Group. WGS owns products such
    as ALL-IN-1, TeamLinks, DECwrite, DECimage EXpress and MegaDoc, VAX
     
    Notes, and the relationships with many third party partners. For 
    information on
    specific "electronic publishing" products, suggest you contact either
    Barry (DTN 381-0259) or Dilip Phadke (DTN 381-6146). They can point you
    in the right direction.
    
    Ken
     
2539.6hi kenBRAT::MAHONEYMon Jun 14 1993 20:188
    
    Ken - you're so good!
    
    
    
    
    deb
    
2539.7The Emporeror is indeed naked..GLDOA::MORRISONDaveTue Jun 15 1993 04:113
    re: .0 - We were NEVER "BIG" in electronic publishing! Get real! If you
    think so, it just shows how insular DEC is. It's APPLE who was & still
    is big in EPUBS.
2539.8There's Epubs and then there's Epubs16BITS::DELBALSOI (spade) my (dog face)Tue Jun 15 1993 12:2722
re: .7, Dave

>    re: .0 - We were NEVER "BIG" in electronic publishing!

It all depends upon what you'd like to consider as "electronic publishing",
Dave. While I don't know what either you or the basenote author include
in that space, I'd certainly include "typeset", and if you look back at
Digital's history you'll find that since the 60's we were heavily involved
in proprietary (and other) typsetting systems on most popular platforms
including the 10's, 8's, 15's and 11's. Digital gear was almost exclusively
the hardware platform of choice for any vendor who wanted to sell their
publishing related applications in the US and Europe. During the 70's
the ANPA shows were dominated by DEC hardware, and our software was no
laughing matter, either. During this period we did pretty notably in
the PDP-8 based wordprocessing space in the office as well - enough to
make a profitable product line out of it at least. And all of this before
Apple or Interleaf or any of the rest of the forces in the market today
even existed.

-Jack
   Former GAPL Engineer, CC 306

2539.9EA Systems friendsAMCUCS::YOUNGI'd like to be...under the sea...Tue Jun 15 1993 18:195
    re: .4
    
    EA systems IS populated by ex-DECcies.  In fact their door states,
    " EA Systems, A Digital Equipment Corporation Company".  This explains
    why they are on Easynet...
2539.10Living it day by dayWMOIS::HOLEWAAnd then, the cook was goosed.Thu Jun 17 1993 18:027
    In the spirit of "what do you exectly mean by EPUBS"...
    
    If you'd like information about what Digital (as in every day real
    life) is doing as far as EPUBS introduction, storage, replication, 
    and delivery goes...send me a note.  
    
    Bob
2539.11There's history & there's the present...GLDOA::MORRISONDaveFri Jun 18 1993 04:403
    re: .8 - You are right & I stand corrected, historically we were big in
    EPUBS but today, it is pretty clear that Apple based products are the
    generally preferred approach. 
2539.12Thanks for the infoSALSA::ABELSONFUD-Fear,Uncertainty,DownsizeFri Jun 18 1993 21:5711
    Thanks everyone for the replies.  I will contact the references
    provided and see where it takes me.
    
    re: .7
    
    Back off Dave. The reason big was in quotes ("big") is that it was a
    tongue-in-cheek comment.  Relax!!!
    
    Regards,
    Todd Abelson
    X-Imaging Consultant
2539.13EA updaeESGWST::HALEYbecome a wasp and hornetTue Jun 22 1993 22:177
EA Systems is not populated by ex-DECIES, it is populated by what are new 
Digits!  They were 80% held by Digital, and we have recently made several 
of their employees Digits.

They sell primarily into the process industries, Dow, Chevron, DuPont...

Matt
2539.14Nobody at Digital is at homeSALSA::ABELSONFUD-Fear,Uncertainty,DownsizeTue Jun 29 1993 17:1615
    Quick update...
    
    Neither Barry Reynolds nor Dilip Phadke will answer my calls.
    
    I have been trying to locate a 3rd party who can handle a real E-Pubs
    requirement for Hughes Missile Systems Company.  EA ain't the right
    choice.  Obviously Digital isn't in the E-pubs space AT ALL (witness no
    callbacks).
    
    Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Interleaf?  Maybe THEY
    want this business...
    
    Feel free to respond directly to me at SALSA::Abelson.  Thanks.
    
    Todd "flaming_in_Tucson" Abelson
2539.15CONTACTING INTERLEAFASABET::MCDONNELLTue Jun 29 1993 19:442
    To reach Interleaf you might try calling T.J. Whitelaw, who is now @MKO
    I believe. Don't have his DTN. 
2539.16Sales Update 15-Mar-1993DECLNE::TOWLETue Jun 29 1993 21:424
    Another source may be Jeff Black DTN 339-5760 or Janet Bobb DTN
    339-5755.  Last resort, try your 3rd party business manager?
    
    -VT
2539.17Digital can SELL Interleaf productsGRANMA::JBOBBJanet Bobb dtn:339-5755Wed Jun 30 1993 14:5245
    I don't want to get into the battle of whether Digital is in the
    Publishing space or not - the answer depends on what your perspective
    is. However, if you don't think the Digital products meet your needs then
    there is another solution that still makes money for Digital...
    
    DIGITAL CAN CERT INTERLEAF PRODUCTS!!!
    
    There is no reason to just give that business to a 3rd party. There is
    a MIDAS agreement between Digital and Interleaf Inc, that allows
    Digital to CERT/sell Interleaf products,services, training,etc - and it
    is VERY profitable for Digital. More details on the MIDAS agreement can
    be found in a Sales Update Article, March 15, 1993.
    
    I (Janet Bobb dtn 339-5755) or Jeff Black  can answer any questions you
    might have about the agreement or the Interleaf products. We currently
    manage the MIDAS agreement and provide subject matter expertise to
    account teams. We have an Interleaf consultant who works with us
    (literally... she sits next to me in the DEC office) to provide
    additional expertise. 
    
    We would be MORE THAN HAPPY to talk to anyone about Publishing
    opportunities in your accounts!
    
    Interleaf has a variety of products that address Document creation, Doc.
    Management, On-line Doc.  or SGML needs. There are two notes files
    about Interleaf:   IOSG::INTERLEAF, TNPUBS::WORLDVIEW.  Their WorldView
    product recently won several awards at the last Seybold conference. And
    they have filters that work with most standard text and graphic
    outputs. Digital has a bidirectional filter between DECwrite and
    Interleaf. So there are lots of answers for customer business problems.
    
    And, by the way, there are still groups within Digital that
    care/support about publishing opportunities. One of the groups that
    Jeff and I work with is the IDC group out of Marlboro. They have a
    Publishing consulting group that sells all sorts of consulting services
    around publishing. Janice Cassin or Sylvia Elchinger would be the
    contact there.
    
    So - any questions - please call me or Jeff.... 
    
    janetb.
    
    ps: Todd - we've been trying to call but no one answers. I'm sending a
    vaxmail after I get out of this note.
    
2539.18and further more...AMCUCS::YOUNGI'd like to be...under the sea...Wed Jun 30 1993 17:1910
    re: .17
    
    Beat me to it by 10 minutes...
    
    Read previous note.  Local Sales Support should KNOW that Interleaf is
    in the Digital Price book, and thus, can be sold by Digital.
    
    MAKE your budget
    
    cw
2539.19more info on Interleaf MIDAS agreementGRANMA::JBOBBJanet Bobb dtn:339-5755Wed Jun 30 1993 20:0243
    more details re: .17
    
    How Digital sells Interleaf product.... 
    
    Some background: The Digital/Interleaf MIDAS agreement was originally
    set up by the EPUBS Resource Center to go after SI Publishing projects.
    When the Resource center got axed, Jeff and I proposed to keep the
    agreement alive by going after any publishing opportunity. Interleaf,
    Inc. agreed to this as long as it wasn't a competitive  situation
    between Digital and Interleaf (why price war ourselves to a lower
    price, when working together we could be get more...)
    
    Anyway, there is a registration process for any opportunity. You must
    contact myself or Jeff with the opportunity. We then "register" it with
    Interleaf. The registration is meant to eliminate/minimize account
    conflicts between DEC/Interleaf.  Digital then goes after the business.
    Jeff & I provide various levels of support, depending on the needs of
    the opportunity. At some point, Jeff/I provide the account team's 3rd
    party business manager with information for a quote (we provide the
    Interleaf content for the quote, but don't generate Digital quotes). When
    the business books, the 3rd party business manager then orders the
    Interleaf content (from Interleaf).
    
    If account teams go to the local Interleaf office rather than through
    MIDAS, DEC does not CERT any of the Interleaf content. Right now, the
    MIDAS agreement is closing at about a 30% to 35% MARGIN. So to just
    "hand" that business directly to Interleaf doesn't make business sense
    for Digital. Also, we can control the account's platform choice a lot
    easier if we are working the account. Interleaf products run on various
    platforms, including HP and SUN - so keeping platform control is
    important.
    
    Interleaf is very interested in this partnership because they realize
    the Digital gets into many more places than Interleaf does. They were
    extremely willing to help us close business these past months. The
    relationship between the companies is good right now, with several
    things going on that are making the relationship closer. 
    
    So, if you have any questions, please contact me or Jeff. And, get the
    word out to your account teams that Digital can sell Interleaf,
    there's not need to give that business away!
    
    janetb.
2539.20Who owns doc mgmt this FY? Look here.DPDMAI::RESENDESubvert the dominant paradigm.Mon Jul 05 1993 17:3317
    Todd,
    
    WGS restructured (again) in June.  Dilip is no longer responsible for
    the segment that handled document management products.  He had that
    segment for about six months (December to May) and now has another
    unrelated segment (OBJECTworks -- we can argue elsewhere if this is
    really unrelated).  The segment which now encompasses document
    management and imaging products is managed by Gerrit Ekklenkamp @APD.
    
    Both Gerrit and Dilip report to Barry.
    
    Also, consider making use of the Interleaf deals which are in place
    that Janet and Jeff are supporting.  For what it's worth, they are
    likely the only viable non-image document management solutions in the
    company, other than EDCS and perhaps EA:RESOLUTION/EDMS.
    
    Steve