| Hello,
You are right we are today in phase of negociation. And there is nothing
sure about the issue, giving that there is still another strong competitor in
the race. It seems still too early to talk to Luxair about any success with
DECmcc at SITA, but that they have/are strongly looking at it is true.
However as I was in charge of the project for the 4 months prototype
that we developed in SITA, I could give your more information. SITA said they
would like to keep confidential with Digital their approach.
For the moment here is the context of the SITA case :
SITA BUSINESS CONTEXT
---------------------
SITA operates a network connecting airlines companies in 150 countries, which
includes many telecom equipment vendors we would like to work with. SITA
is organized in 3 international centers, 30 regionnal centers and around 300
local customer centers. Their network provides transport services as well
as application services, for a capacity around 1000 concentrators (* 24 lines).
Through their Research & Development center in Sophia Antipolis they are
studying how to develop and deploy ISM : an Integrated System Management,
for their worldwide network management. This strategy will be based on a
vendor platform, which they have to select.
Here are the main milestones :
March 91 to October 91 :
SITA theorically evaluated a dozen of vendors, DIGITAL France responded
to their RFP.
October 91 :
SITA selected DIGITAL (DECmcc) and TCS (Teknokron Communications
Systems) in a short list for the development of prototype.
November 91 to March 92 :
Each competitor has built a team with the SITA Research and Development center
based in Sophia Antipolis, in order to develop in parallel a prototype to
manage their X400 service.
End of March 92 :
SITA R&D issued a recommendation for the best vendor for their global network
management strategy. A serie of weaknesses of DECmcc were identified and shared
with NSM management.
Spring 92 :
Startup of the 1st messaging management project with the selected platform,
in ATlanta. The manager has been assigned in December, and is currently building
his team and enginering environment. This gives a short timeframe after the
R&D choice.
After MArch 92 :
Then SITA PARIS headquarters and engineering have to approve / discuss
the choice of R&D and apply the strategy all over SITA. This phase is currently
involving a lot of marketing / partnership negociations steps.
In term of human ressources the following investments have been done in the
project :
- 1 observer from SITA ( 4.5 months ).
- 2 development engineers from software houses paid by SITA ( 2 * 3 months ).
- 1 US SVP consultant, Kathy Jo Nelson, paid by SITA ( 1 month ).
- 1 software support engineer ,provided free by DEC France ( 0.5 month ).
- 1 project manager/developer ,JM Bourgade ,provided free by SVP Europe (4.5 months ).
TEKNEKRON has sent ( and sold ? ) 2 US experts in his team, taking a startup
advantage and following their practice of software house. Also the person
formerly in charge of the EMA SVP and PNMP partnership programs in Europe, is
starting the european subsidiary of TEKNEKRON in Valbonne and is in charge of
SITA.
For more information ( business perspective ) contact in Valbonne :
- Patrice Cauffet ( @NCE), SITA account salesman .
- Norman ( BONNET::) Valentine, Europe EMA SVP program manager.
- Jean-Michel (TENERE::) Bourgade, Europe EMA SVP Engineering ( TBG ).
Best regards,
Jean-Michel
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