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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

3189.0. "'Internet World' articles on DEC" by DSSDEV::RUST () Tue Jun 21 1994 14:52

    I was prowling the computer section of the Barnes & Noble magazine rack
    and came across something called "Internet World" (the July/August '94
    issue. It appeared to contain lots of useful info on the Internet in
    general (mostly focused on business use, but with items of interest to
    this "recreational user" as well) - but what really caught my eye were
    the mentions of <gasp!> Digital Equipment Corporation.
    
    Is everybody sitting down? 
    
    They were *positive*.
    
    For example, the article "Stone Soup," about setting up a World-WideWeb
    network - with key participation from DEC:
    
    	"We initially went to DEC because it appeared to us that they had a
    	well thought out corporate strategy with respect to the Internet.
    	[Don't let's all snicker at once; see next article for elaboration on
    	this point. -b] After their lightning-fast reaction to our proposal, we
    	needed no further proof. In addition to the hardware they will supply
    	to the project itself, DEC also brings world-class capabilities to
    	satisfy many of our clients' likely hardware and system integration
    	needs. Among its many credits in this area, DEC has developed a
    	reputation for constructing highly effective security firewalls for
    	organizations in the public and private sectors. To say we are ecstatic
    	about this partnership verges on understatement." 
    
    Now, since the magazine is published by Mecklermedia Corporation, and
    since the "Stone Soup" network was to be the MecklerWeb (its purpose,
    "to help institutions, professional associations and business
    organizations to get up and running on the global Internet"), one might
    suspect that the magazine is not strictly objective on this point - but
    what the heck. It's been so long since I've read wonderful things about
    DEC - in print, in a relatively public forum - that I don't care if
    they're just saying "thanks for the Alpha".

    Then there's "Doing Business on the Internet," which includes case
    studies of DEC,  Silicon Graphics, and Sun, on how they're using the
    Internet. The DEC study describes the company's placement of Alpha
    AXP's as test-drive servers on the Internet, with a number of positive
    comments about the program (many, alas, talking about clinching sales,
    which would be lovely except that, as we all know, our quarterly
    results overall just haven't been looking that good).
    
    It also points out - and this is perhaps the most positive *and*
    negative thing about it:
    
    	"It is noteworthy that the Internet marketing programs stemmed not
    	from a strategic directive from upper management, rather from the
    	grassroots initiatives of a few resourceful employees in Digital's
    	Palo Alto marketing and public-relations departments."

    I'd like to think there's still some initiative left in the company. I'd
    also like to think that the corporate strategy (if we ever get one)
    will not tend to quell such initiative...
    
    -b

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3189.1		QUARK::LIONEL	Free advice is worth every cent	`Tue Jun 21 1994 15:00`	4
	Lots more good things like this to read in the SOFBAS::INTERNET_TOOLS conference. We really are a leader in this space. Steve
3189.2	CRL get's my vote for our internet momentum	CSSE::FAHERTY		`Tue Jun 21 1994 16:38`	7
	Let us not forget Digital's CRL (Cambridge Research Lab) for their many contributions both to our internet momentum and capabilities (internal and external, web, mosaic, DECathena, expertise, ...). I became an internet expert and advocate solely through influence by CRL. I wasn't even cognizant of Palo Alto's involvement until after I had poked around for a while on the web.
3189.4	Compuserve, too	ICS::BEAN	Attila the Hun was a LIBERAL!	`Tue Jun 21 1994 19:47`	5
	i was surfing around in Compuserve's DECPCI forum last night, and found three consecutive memos, also very positive, about DEC's response to customer needs. tony
3189.5	Digital's Internet Advantages!	PHONE::OUYANG		`Wed Jun 22 1994 02:06`	6
	Thanks for posting .0. Yes, let's take Digital's Internet Advantages! Regards, Edwin
3189.6		PLAYER::BROWNL	A-mazed on the info Highway!	`Wed Jun 22 1994 08:50`	4
	Don't forget the Paris Research Lab (which is being closed). They've done their fair share of the stuff... Laurie.
3189.7	Great!	GLDOA::CUTLER	Car Topin' On The Cumberland	`Wed Jun 22 1994 11:20`	7
	Yeah!!!!! Something Positive For A Change!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Work! No......"Great Work"! Customers saying "positive things"! Rick
3189.8		PERLE::glantz	Mike, Paris Research Lab, 776-2836	`Thu Jun 23 1994 10:15`	9
	There are a lot of people to whom thanks is due for bringing IP awareness to Digital. Happily for Digital, there are more than could be named in a short reply. Unhappily, some of these have chosen to leave or have found themselves caught in the faceless squeeze. But rather than applaud or lay blame, I'd like to repeat Steve Lionel's suggestion to check out the conference at SOFBAS::INTERNET_TOOLS. Get yourself a Mosaic Web browser and see what all the excitement is about (there's excitement a-plenty, and it's well-justified).
3189.9	and another thing ... just do it!	PERLE::glantz	Mike, Paris Research Lab, 776-2836	`Thu Jun 23 1994 10:30`	16
	While we may be making an effort to be an active player on the Internet, it would be very risky to assume that the hard/fun work has been done, or that Digital's Internet work is being handled by someone. It behooves every Digital employee to become Internet-aware. I believe we should all consider this to be a part of our job, whether it's in your "official job description" or not. Not everyone has to (nor should) become a "guru", but, at a minimum, you should know how to send mail to an Internet address, and how to use one or more of the more potent tools, such as a World-Wide Web browser (e.g., Mosaic). Many of us will face hurdles in trying to do this. Ignore them. Push past them. Spend some time. Find a way around them. It can be done! You weren't hired into this company because you give up at the first sign of difficulty! Only this level of effort, awareness and competence will truly make Digital the Internet company.
3189.10	One proof that Digital is the Internet company	MIMS::BEKELE_D	When indoubt THINK!	`Wed Oct 26 1994 01:18`	28
	The following should be worth a few marketing mile$... dan Wall Street Journal Oct 25, 1994 page A8 (reprint without permission) SACRAMENTO, Calif. - In what is being billed as the largest live, on-line project ever undertaken, California's general-election returns Nov. 8 will be posted on the Internet network. Tony Miller, acting secretary of state, said that California will work with Digital Equipment Corp. to broadcast up-to-the-minute returns on the Internet's World Wide Web. Anyone with Internet access will be able to see returns in a multimedia format, including graphs, tables, photos and links to other data. Digital will provide the software and systems for the project, which, beginning today, will offer pre-election information on ballot questions, campaign spending, direct maps and more. In an earlier pilot project during the June primaries, a text-only system was used by some 400,000 people on the Internet. To reach the new system, computer users with Internet access must enter the following string of letters and symbols: http://www.election.ca.gov.