Conference 7.286::digital

3476.0. "DEC send COMPETITORS all prices and specs!" by GLDOA::SCHESKY (Casey Schesky Team Leader DWT) Mon Oct 31 1994 16:29

    I just received the attached E-mail describing an automatic mail
    service where we send out product literature, pricing, systems and
    options catalogs to anybody who signs up.  Monthly we apparently send
    this stuff out without fail.
    
    What amazes me is that we proudly list as being in the top 100 users of
    this service all of our COMPETITORS!  I can understand perhaps ginving
    them information begrudgingly when they aslk for it, but to put them on
    a monthly automatic service that gives them all this stuff easily and
    without fuss?!  I know that much of this information, by virtue of
    going to customers, will get into the hands of the competition, but
    that is a slow and spotty process I am sure.  Why jsut hand the
    competition all this stuff on a silver platter?
    
    This seems pretty bizarre to me - read the following :  (We even have
    automatically marked the mail message as : "Digital Internal use only") - 
    
    ***********************************************************************
    
                    DIGITAL INTERNAL USE ONLY Document

                    DIGITAL INTERNAL USE ONLY Document

 

                    DIGITAL INTERNAL USE ONLY Document

                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date:     31-Oct-1994 13:43 EST
                                        From:     Readers Choice
                                                  CHOICE.READERS AT A1 at SALES at MRO
                                        Dept:     
                                        Tel No:   

TO: See Below

Subject: #11247-Special Offer with Purchase of DRS                   


  From:  Randi Sargent, DRS Product Manager		(Page 1 of 3)
  
  Successful sales in the '90s is based on total customer satisfaction.  
  While you may not have time to personally support all your key 
  contacts, you can continue to service them by keeping them up-to-date 
  on Digital products and services with a subscription to Digital 
  Reference Service.
  
  
  Digital Reference Service (DRS) is the ultimate reference and "find-it"
                 guide to everything for Digital systems.
  
  
  DRS ensures that you and your key customers keep current with Digital 
  systems and software solutions -- no matter where your office is 
  located.  DRS collects and organizes new Digital product literature 
  from all participating product groups and delivers this information 
  directly to you and or your customers every other month.  DRS includes 
  the latest specs on hardware, software, networking, communications, 
  storage products and peripherals.  Perfect for proposing system 
  upgrades and budgets, DRS ensures that your customers receive the 
  up-to-date catalogs, price lists, information sheets and training 
  schedules they need.  Attached is a sample listing of just some of the 
  customers that subscribe to the DRS -- your customers should be on this 
  list!
  
        Free SHARP Electronic Organizer when you subscribe to DRS.
  
  To help you keep your customers satisfied, we're making you this 
  special offer.  Purchase DRS subscriptions for two or more of your top 
  customers and receive a free SHARP Electronic Organizer for your 
  personal use.  The SHARP Electronic Organizer YO-110 is perfect for 
  maintaining your appointment calendar, important telephone numbers and 
  anniversary dates!  It features 34K memory (storage 880 names and 
  numbers), 3 line display, standard QWERTY keyboard, calculator and 
  expense functions.
  
  You and your customers will appreciate receiving all the exciting 
  product news from Digital delivered directly to any office location.  
  And you'll enjoy the time-saving benefits of DRS and the SHARP 
  electronic organizer (available in stores for $69.99!).
  
  The following data sheets provides the details about DRS services and 
  how to order.  For more information or to place your orders on-line, 
  contact Elaine Wojnar at DTN 297-4566, or INFO_DRS@MRO.
  
  P.S. The Free SHARP Electronic Organizer office is valid only on new 
  subscriptions placed by November 30, 1994.  Please reference promotion 
  code DEDRP on the order form to receive this offer.  Offer available 
  until November 30th or while supplies last.
  

  The Digital Reference Service is your one-stop source for up-to-date 
  information on all hardware, software, and service solutions for 
  Digital systems.  DRS specializes in collecting, distributing, and 
  organizing information on all Digital products and services into a 
  convenient desktop reference library.
  
  As a subscriber to the DRS Literature Update Service, you can be 
  assured to have the latest Digital information delivered to you 
  directly every 6-8 weeks.
  
  DRS contents:
  * Systems and Options Catalogs	* Price Lists
  * DECdirect Catalogs			* PC Catalogs
  * Network Buyers Guide		* Software Source Books
  * Open DECconnect Applications Guide	* Annual Report			 
  * POLYCENTER Solutions Guide		* Customer magazines
  * Plus just released new product brochures and info sheets!
  	
  Free when you subscribe:
  * A set of sturdy holders to store your DRS literature library,
  * 8 issues of DRS Update - a newsletter that highlights new product 
  solutions,
  * DRS Information Directory - unique cross-referenced tables to help 
  you find the information you need.  Includes an essential list of 
  direct dial Digital phone numbers.
  
  Research software features quickly with Digital SPDs
  Digital Software Product Descriptions (SPDs) are ideal for researching 
  software features, systems compatibility and support information for 
  every Digital software release.  DRS SPDs are updated quarterly.  This 
  comprehensive collection is available on a dual-file system CD-ROM that 
  is compatible with all operating systems.
  ___________________________________________________________________
  DRS Subscription Options:
  
  Order Number  Description-Annual subscription	                Price*
  ED-00896-18	DRS Literature Update Service plus SPD CD-ROM	$590
  ED-02128-18	DRS Literature Update Service 			$360
  ED-00897-18	DRS Software Product Descriptions - CD-ROM 	$270
  
  *Prices are internal Digital pricing and valid in U.S. only.  
  Phone:	DTN 297-4566, 1-800-494-4DRS (IN U.S.)  
  FAX:		DTN 297-5640, 1-508-429-6921
  E-Mail	INFO_DRS@MRO / SALES::INFO_DRS
  
  To Order:
  Send mail to INFO_DRS@MRO to receive your order form or call Elaine 
  Wojnar at DTN 297-4566 for details. 

                     DRS "Top Customer" Subscriber List
  
  3M Company                        	  ABB Industrial Systems, Inc.      
  Abbott Laboratories               	  ACES Computer Services, Inc.      
  Aetna Life & Casualty Co.         	  Allied Signal, Incorporated
  Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.  	  Alabama Power Company  
  Argonne National Laboratory       	  Arthur Andersen & Company         
  Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company 	  Avanti 4 International            
  Bell Atlantic Business Systems    	  Boeing Company
  BP Oil Company			  British Telecom
  Brookvale Computer Associates		  Building Block Computers
  Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc.		  Carolina Power & Light            
  Cellular One				  Centerior Energy Corporation
  Chase Home Mortgage Corp.         	  Chicago Stock Exchange            
  Ciba-Geigy Corporation            	  Comdisco                          
  Corstar Business Computing Co.    	  Data General Corporation          
  Digital Equipment Corporation     	  Digital News & Review
  E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Co     	  Electronic Data Systems Corp. 
  Federated Investors, Inc.		  Fermi National Accerlator Lab     
  Gartner Group, Inc.               	  General Electric Computer Services
  Georgia Pacific Corporation         	  Grumman Systems Support           
  GTE Government Systems Corp.     	  Hamilton/Avnet 
  Hewlett Packard Company           	  Honeywell, Inc.                   
  IBM Corporation                   	  Inland Steel Company             
  Intel Corporation			  International Data Corporation 
  Intraco International, Inc.       	  Jet Propulsion Laboratories
  Johns Hopkins University		  Konica Quality Photo East         
  Landis & Gyr Power			  Lockheed Missiles & Space Company 
  Los Alamos National Laboratory    	  LTV Steel
  Mass Institute Of Technology      	  Massachusetts Mutual Life Ins.
  Mayo Foundation			  MCI International                 
  Michelin Tire Corporation         	  National Aeronautics & Space     
  Navistar International Corp.		  NCR Corporation                   
  NEC Systems Labs, Inc.		  Northrop B-2 Corporation	   
  Novadyne Systems                  	  NYNEX Service Company             
  Pacific Bell Info. Services       	  Polaroid Corporation              
  Process Controls Systems Inc		  PRC Public Management Systems     
  Project Software Inc              	  Quantic Communications Inc        
  Raytheon				  Rockwell Graphic Systems, Inc.
  Ryobi Outdoor Products            	  Sikorsky Aircraft                 
  Snohomish County PUD #1           	  Solvay Pharmaceuticals
  Stratus Computer, Inc.          	  Sun Microsystems, Inc.  
  Sybase, Inc.            		  T-K Technologies                  
  TAJ Systems & Solutions, Inc.     	  U.S. Air Force                    
  U.S. Army                         	  U.S. Department Of Interior       
  VA Medical Center                	  Vector Research		   
  WAAY-TV				  Walt Disney Productions          
  Westinghouse Electric Corp. 		  West Virginia Network             
  Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Inc.   	  Xerox Credit Union		   
  York Technical College            	  Ziff Davis Publishing Company    
  Zitel Corporation                 ** plus many colleges and universities
  
Distribution:
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SALES::READERCHOICE.

    while the memo is classified "For Internal Use", I see nothing in DRS
    that's the least bit confidential.  Whattsa matter?

    
    	Also if our competitor's want today's list prices, all they have to
    do is get to our WWW home page and follow the "bouncing ball". We have
    many of our VARs and other relationship types using both DRS and other
    tools with no disclosure requirements at all. I, for two, am at a loss
    as to why this is a concern. I get H-Ps list pricing all the time. They
    sent it to me at the office here under Digital Equipment Corp. So...
    
    		the Greyhawk

    
    When I was a customer it was pointed out to me that IBM was also
    a DEC customer (ie. systems used in semiconductor manufacturing).
    It would hardly surprise me if huge companies like IBM and HP were not
    among at least our 1000 largest customers. 
    
    /ljj
    

	In today's economy, the line between competitor and customer
	has blurred to the point of invisibility.  We have cooperative
	marketing or development agreements with most of our
	"competitors".  Today's competitive advantage comes from
	the fastest, cheapest product development and delivery
	possible, coupled with the quality and functional flexibility 
	that allows products to work well in a real world environment.
	IBM isn't a 100% IBM shop any more, nor is DEC a 100%
	DEC shop.

	It's the same in almost every business.  Hiding or protecting
	information is costly and often futile.  The trick is to
	act on information while it's fresh, then move on.  Look at
	the livestock business -- everyone knows what animals I have,
	what my breeding practices are, what type of animals I'm
	trying to produce, and what my general pricing strategy is.
	There's general cooperation in the industry about providing
	basic information.  Breeders are open to questions of
	business, ethics, breeding, and general care.  Other breeders
	are both customers and competitors -- they purchase animals
	from me to enhance their breeding program, meanwhile competing
	with me in the open market.  Any edge we have in the business
	depends in part on our acceptance and reputation in the
	industry.  We work together with other breeders to develop 
	new markets and to educate the public about our product.

	The world is now grey... 8^)

	Ron

    I assume that they still are, but IBM in Endicott (?) NY, was a major
    customer for a number of years, had the world's largest 11/750 etc...
    
    They also hold the record for the largest "per-call" bill in Upstate,
    for reassembling the 8600 (from the chips on up) that they took apart
    one weekend. ("Hello Digital? My 8600 won't boot...)
    
    .mike.