Conference 7.286::digital

51.0. "new idea for DEC to think about" by ELMO::LEIGH () Thu Aug 08 1985 07:24

new idea for DEC to think about.

The other day while reading TODAY'S OFFICE, I skimmed an article talking
about the microcomputer of the '90s or something similar discussing computers
and office automation and what to expect in the next decade.  They talked
about true 32bit machines, multi-tasking, passive MAIL facility (receive
while doing other things), strong networks, etc.  This sounded pretty familiar
to me -- DEC already has it in the microVAX and DECnet.   The only problem
is that no-one knows about DEC and microVAXES (they all buy IBM PCs and
siblings) and that DEC charges too much and has funny things like single
user microVAX licenses.  There is no need to wait for new IBM PCs with 80386
and megaMEGs of RAM.  What DEC needs to do is produce a $9000 - $10000
microVAX workstation that can be clustered (yes clustered, let us not leave
the micros out of the blessings).  They also need site licenses for them
and cheap ones too (on line with what a company would pay for LOTUS 123
or DBASE II/III).  An office with several microVAX workstations clustered
together with a microVAX II or two and a laser printer or two would be much
more powerful than anything available now in the office environment.  Of
course DECnet would be in operation linking these microCLUSTERS and also
the company's 780s or 8600s from the data processing department.  Things
like IBM PCs, DECmates, PROs, and RAINBOWs already in existance could
also be on the net.  That would make one powerful office environment.
The microVAX workstation would be a microVAX I type processor, 10 or 30 meg
wini, floppies, and VAXSTATION (the big munga ones with mice and multiple
windows) terminals or regular terminals (VT240-VT241 types) depending on
the need, the microVAX II would have at least one 70 meg wini and be used
as a central departmental number cruncher and file/print server.  Of course
there would be one or more microHSCs for the mass storage (several hundred
megabytes worth depending on need) and dual TK50 tape cartridges for backup.
One or two LN03s, a LQP02/03, and an LA210 or so would round out the thing.
Then there is all that powerful software already in existence.  ALL-IN-1,
WPSPLUS/VMS, Rdb/VMS, DBMS, DATATRIEVE, etc.
Of course, the big thing is letting people know this can be had now (in the
near future for things like clustered micros and microHSCs) and really pushing
it *AND* having it at an acceptable price and policy for the business world.

What about this?

Chad

Your ideas do sound good to me and I believe that there are people in
the company thinking about and working on things like this.

BTW, this kind of thing (especially that no one knows what we have) is
talked about in great detail in the marketing notes file. Which is also on
HUMAN at HUMAN""::SYS$NOTES:MARKETING.                                

Alfred

Engineering is building everything you describe and much more for delivery
before this fiscal year runs out.

So the question is...will we convey this message to the marketplace? Or just
be another well kept secret?

Let me know when you've established

(a) a volume availability date

(b) a price

(c) a part number

and not one moment earlier.

I'm not an engineer.  I don't want to hear about unannounced products.
I would like you to listen to what the needs of my customers are, and we
can have that discussion without reference to the signs of the zodiac, I
hope.

Pat Sweeney

re: -.1

Hmm, sounds like an offended marketing or sales person.  I don't think any 
insult was intended about your work (re -.2), maybe a little ignorance was 
displayed though.  I'm sure none of us use goat entrails in our work, or 
purposely hides information, okay?  So lighten up.

If you work at DEC, you'll constantly hear about unannounced products (not
to mention imaginary products).  At NCGA, I had customers trying to milk
me about unannounced products: *they*'d heard about things I'd never heard
of.

It does sound like an EXCELLENT idea to get Pat (and others) the info 
requested asap, though!

Re: .3

My point was not to pre-announce a product. So I did not state the features,
performance, target price, part number, or project name.

My point was to indicate that the problem we have is not creating such a
product. Rather, the problem is getting the message out (one of marketing's
responsibilities). The message should include the strategy. In the early
days of VAX, we very conciously worked to get out the strategy message as
well as the product. In most cases, this can be done by using current products
as examples showing where the strategy is going. It does require clearly
articulating the strategy. And it does require telling the right people.

re .6:

Succinctly said!

Re .all:

The idea is, of course, *not* to preannounce a product; we have too many
leaks as it is.  However, some of the concerns are justified, and one hopes
some are addressed in "Marketing" notesfile.

Steve Kallis, Jr.