Conference 7.286::digital

  In a way I'm not surprised. The Digital that KO created is mostly history.
The new SLT has trashed many of the values he stood for.

  I'm amazed every time folks expect a dismissed employee to
  harbor warm feelings about the corporation that dismissed
  them, yet many folks have written notes along that theme.

  This isn't "Catch 22" and there's no one sending you home
  as a trade for "liking them".

  When the corporation treats people like dirt, whether they're
  customers or employees, people remember. For a L-O-N-G time.

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  Meanwhile, I wouldn't suggest that Ken is doing this out of
  malice. This is business, and if he's got a good idea (like
  a server that lets you run VAX software while you convert to
  something more modern), he has EVERY right to exploit that
  idea.

  After all, I've also read a lot of notes by a lot of Libertarian
  engineers extolling the value of unbridled capitalism; sorry if
  it's goring your oxe this time.

                                   Atlant

    Well this company was in a wee bit of trouble when he was shown the
    door.  If the buck stopped at his door, then I think bad mouthing the
    current regime who has managed to stop the bleeding, seems rather
    pointless.  Maybe the company he created couldn't survive today's
    realities.

Why believe so easily that Ken ("Olsen", not "Olson" -- how soon we
forget!) is badmouthing Digital?  Who says so?  What are the (verifiable)
facts?

And as several replies noted, business is business.  Or supposed to be.

___Pete

Consider also that people don't spend the time and energy to
be critical of something unless they care about it.  I'd be
more concerned if Ken wasn't a bit critical of the current Digital.

The changes we had to make have been very painful.
Stopping the bleading may have cost us our soul.
How much remains of the original purpose and spirit of DEC?

Yes, we had to stop the bleeding.  But now it's time to heal
and rebuild the spirit of Digital.  The jury is still out on
whether we can achieve this.

- Peter

    
    Ken's company buys the VAX systems from Digital. Last time
    I heard he was buying VAXstation4000-90A boxes without
    the graphics.  So he is helping sell VAX systems.  Someone
    from my old group works there.
    
    Jon

    I read some analysts comments on this new server from IBM. They were
    pretty much underwhelmed by the whole thing. There was no mention of
    where the VMS licenses come from, the lack of need for yet another
    server on a LAN and the fact that IBM has never been good with this
    sort of box in the past and they didn't expect this time to be any
    different. So Ken's new company may or may not be successful with this
    partnership.
    
    Debbie
    

  Licensing the software (e.g., VMS) isn't a problem. An old
  lawsuit against IBM conclusively decided that a vendor *MUST*
  be willing to sell their system software unbundled from their
  hadware.

  And if, as an earlier note asserts, the VAX CPUs are obtained
  by buying and "reconfiguring" a DEC system, then there's no
  problem at all; just buy the DEC system with a VMS license.
  The license doesn't evaporate just because you throw the
  mounting box away.
                                   Atlant

    
    KO is in a niche market.  Let him go for it.  People used to complain
    about how little marketing we did under the KO realm.  
    
    But, of course, so much has changed...
    
    ;^)

From the Telegram & Gazette, 9/6/95

Digital Equipment Corp's founder and retired president,
69-year-old Kenneth H. Olsen, has a new job.  Olsen has
recently been named chairman of Advanced Modular Solutions
Inc. of Acton, MA where he has served as technical consultant
and adviser since the company's December 1992 founding by
a former Digital executive.

"Ken has a high level of involvement and will have a day-to-day
presence at the company," said spokeswoman Elizabeth Beach.

Olsen will work with the company's new president and chief
executive officer, Lyn Benton, who previously held executive
positions with Lotus, Digital & Data General.  Benton succeeds
Advanced Modular's founder, Terry Potter, who has been named
director of new business development.

The privately held, 56-employee company designs, manufactures
and assembles servers, which control the operation of computer
networks.  The company helps mainframe computer users move to
new and simpler systems.  Olsen himself was instrumental in
the company's funding.

    That was hardly a 'new job' for Ken. He was instrumental in the
    founding, funding, and ongoing funding of Modular. He has been very
    active in this company almost since his departure from Digital. 

    Modular, Ken's new company, is located in the old ACO facility
    at Piper Rd. in Acton.  Passed by there yesterday and the parking
    lot is not too full compared to when I worked there in the late '80's.
    
    ....mike

    Don't forget that Ken probably still owns about 3,000,000 shares
    of DEC stock.  Anything that he does now to make DEC less 
    valuable hurts him also.  With 60 or so employees copared to
    our 60,000 I suspect he is just doing it out of interest - he
    really doesn't need the money.  $42 time 3 million is
    still enough to retire comfortably on!
    
    Tony

    But, would he still draw Social Security?
    
    
    ;)