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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

2286.0. "Can't order some DEC S/W" by SYOMV::KRAS (I was UNIX when it was still cool) Sat Dec 19 1992 00:28

    I've got one for you:
    
    Jack Smith sent out a cost-control memo that requires we NOT order any
    third-party S/W for the time being.
    
    I want to demo DEC Object/DB to a customer.
    
    I order a Digital product - "DEC Object/DB" from SSB, and get a message
    back saying that I need a VP signiture to order "third-party" S/W. 
    (DEC Object/DB - though a Digital maintained and developed product -
    has a royalty as it is based on Objectivity.)  I can not even order the
    DOC-ONLY - because of the royalty.
    
    There is something wrong when I can't order "DEC" S/W.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2286.1		STIMPY::QUODLING		`Mon Dec 21 1992 03:05`	10
	There is something wrong, when VP's, who should be providing strategic direction, have to spend all of their time signing documentation requests. Gee, if we trusted our employees, and truly empowered them, we could get rid of masses of bureaucracy, and middle management. Peter Q.
2286.2		XLIB::SCHAFER	Mark Schafer, ISV Tech. Support	`Mon Dec 21 1992 14:05`	2
	they don't spend their time signing anything because they DON'T okay the requests, that's how they control the costs! :-)
2286.3	Don't worry, we're well covered!	INFACT::BEVIS	Dig it, AL!	`Mon Dec 21 1992 23:32`	5
	Don't worry, there are LOTS of VPs to go around. Don (as Radar O'Riley once said, "And sign this. It's a form saying you signed that other form.")
2286.4		ADSERV::PW::WINALSKI	Careful with that AXP, Eugene	`Sat Dec 26 1992 21:53`	7
	RE: .0 So get your request in to your VP. If you can make a legitimate business case to your VP, you'll get the sign-off and the software. If you can't, then you won't (and shouldn't) get it. --PSW
2286.5	Not my money...	HERCUL::MOSER	Would you like a little CM with that?	`Sun Dec 27 1992 22:12`	24
	re: <<< Note 2286.4 by ADSERV::PW::WINALSKI "Careful with that AXP, Eugene" >>> Damn... With attitudes like that it's no wonder our overhead rates are so high... Let's see... Spec IV bills internally at about $70/hr Let's say he spends a full day trying to figure out how to get a VP signature, and that's probably on the light end of what it would take, so he's got $560 bucks in time in this enterprise and we haven't even started to figure on all of the secretaries and managers that will inevitably be in the middle of this... Not to mention while folks are engaged in this silliness they are not selling or delivering... So add in the opportunity costs to boot... Our little $50 package is probably now at about $1500 easy... This is brain dead... IMHO
2286.6	Ultrix?	42702::WELSH	Think it through	`Mon Jan 04 1993 08:14`	11
	That's an interesting policy. Isn't Ultrix a royalty product? (And OSF/1 too?) My understanding was that anything that claims to be Unix has to pay royalties to Unix System Labs. There are many other significant products that pay external royalties, too - in my space of software development, for instance, DECdesign Ptech and Ptech Code Generator, and DECadmire. /Tom
2286.7		XLIB::SCHAFER	Mark Schafer, ISV Tech. Support	`Mon Jan 04 1993 13:43`	1
	yeah, but how many people pick up Ultrix for their PC at home? :-)
2286.8		TLE::TOKLAS::FELDMAN	Opportunities are our Future	`Mon Jan 04 1993 17:43`	7
	re: .6 Only products that use code derived from AT&T or Berkeley sources have to pay royalties. I believe there are Unix-clones on the market that are AT&T-clean. Gary