Conference 7.286::digital

    I too have noticed the same lack of advertising that 4196.0 states.  To
    my understanding we have had no additional TV exposure since the
    hard-driving Lenny Kravitz-background advertisement.  Some people liked
    them, some didn't - but they got us noticed.
    
    I may be wrong, but I have always felt that Digital's approach to
    advertising (especially TV) is akin to the following:
     
    Step 1 - Make a splash
    Step 2 - If the company doesn't reap a fortune from it in a quarter or so, trash
    that campaign. 
    Step 3 - Wait a year or so; go back to Step 1.  
    
    Like most of us who work for Digital, and who actually read and see
    what our competitors are doing in this space, the lack of advertising
    hurts immensely our sales efforts.  Guess we'll have to wait for the
    rumors of a Microsoft takeover to come true before we see any real
    change in this area.
    
    Chuck

    The "big three" network spots have stopped, but I've seen Digital
    advertising on TV recently (probably on one of CNN/CNBC/Discovery).
    
    Also, there is no more Ed Lucente/Global "Marketing" Group anymore;
    each business unit is on their own.  Crying about Digital Marketing
    without mentioning a specific SBU falls on nonexistant ears.

RE: .2

	Oh God, let's not bring up "Neutron Eddie"...

RE: .1

	Us getting bought by Microsoft would only help us. At least then
	we'd get decent marketing and Alpha would become a standard. (and 
	ALOT of people would be out of a job in Digital Corp. Marketing!)
	But that's not going to happen I suspect. Microsoft is content
	with taking our jewels, making a crown, and letting Compac wear
	it.

								mike

> Us getting bought by Microsoft would only help us. At least then
> we'd get decent marketing and Alpha would become a standard. (and 
> ALOT of people would be out of a job in Digital Corp. Marketing!)
> But that's not going to happen I suspect. Microsoft is content
> with taking our jewels, making a crown, and letting Compac wear
> it.

  Someone once cited the statistic that 40% of the software engineers
  who now work at Microsoft once worked for Digital. This sounds high
  to me, but not *THAT* high.

  Does anyone dare to speculate on the real number?

                                   Atlant

    The Microsoft rumors may be more real than many suspect.  While
    Microsoft has been content in the past to rape and pillage anyone who
    would let them get away with it, they are scared to death of the
    alliances currently being struck, with the target of each squarely
    being Microsoft.  Witness HP/Intel, IBM/Apple/Motorola and others -
    their intent is clear.  Many analysts have been speculating on who
    Microsoft has left to align with, and Digital comes up prominently.  I
    personally feel it would be the best thing to ever happen to Digital
    and the Alpha architecture.
    
    If you don't think that the big s/w houses want to get into the
    hardware business, witness Oracle recent announcement, wherein they
    will soon be selling small, quasi-PC-like boxes as network clients. 
    The big players want to be in all the steps of the food chain.
    
    Chuck

    Two weeks ago I attended a Microsoft presentation at the Unisys Users
    Conference (UNITE) in Orlando.  The Microsoft presenter mentioned Alpha
    at least ten times.  He also said that three years from now, your
    desktop might not necessarily be Intel-based.  Of course this does not
    necessarily mean anything, but it might reflect the type of thinking or
    discussions that take place around the water cooler at Microsoft.

RE: .6

	From the Microsofties I've talked with, they love Windows NT
	running on Alpha, especially our servers.

							mike

Yeah but this is what they say about us.

MS person wished to remain anonymous:

DEC could double in size overnight with good marketing. 
What is unbelievable is that upper mgmt doesnt see
how dominate they could be .. this window of opportunity
might never come like this again..
c.

re Note 4196.8 by DECWET::WHITE:

> What is unbelievable is that upper mgmt doesnt see
> how dominate they could be .. this window of opportunity
> might never come like this again..

        We've been following a "safe", low-risk strategy of late. 
        Reasonable success (especially when measured against the last
        five years) is virtually assured in the near and even
        medium-term.  A high-growth strategy probably has a much
        higher risk of obvious failure, so I can see why management
        is tending to be conservative.

        (I don't agree with that, and I certainly share the
        frustration being expressed here that we have great potential
        that might not produce great results.)

        Bob

> -< "a ship in harbor is safe" >-

And goes nowhere...

    
    See note 3528.434 for a quick update on advertising.

Marketing and advertising are not the same thing.

Advertising is one form of promotion, which is part
of marketing.  But, if we just looked for promotion - 
any kind of promotion, from Digital, it's hard to find.
Where are the trade magazine reviews?  Where are
the customer stories in industry magazines?  
Where are the BIG splashy announcements at trade
shows?  Where are the promotions, event advertise-
ments, etc.............   Maybe I don't read the right
mags or go to the right shows...

    re .6 & .7
    
    I'm thrilled!  It means we're succeeding!  This is what the Alliance is
    out to achieve.  For those of us who work on this day to day, it is
    always wonderful to hear from the field that our work is not in vain.
    
    With Microsoft helping to plug alpha, we're another step along the way.
    
    Now if we only had both marketing and advertising...
    
    Ken Berkun
    Alliance Team
    DECwest

    G'day,
    
     Not sure that this is the best note string to put this under... but
    the title seems apt!...
    
    
    I was looking for info on the web today, and found a page from the uni
    of Michegan which lists telecom industry companies....
    
    and yay, Digital is there.... but someone would appear not to have the
    message... but what worries me is whether there are others who would
    describe us the same way....
    
    Excerpt of the page follows.....
    
    
    
    http://www.spp.umich.edu/telecom/companies.html
    
    
    
                   [Telecom Information Resources on the Internet]
    
                 [Home]  [Search]   [Feedback]  [Add Url]  [Update]
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This page and presentation of information is Copyright ) 1994, 1995,
    1996 by
    Jeffrey MacKie-Mason ([email protected]). All rights reserved.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Companies (see also "Telecom Operating Companies")
    
       *  Business and Trade Resources Listing
       *  Computer and Communications Entry Page (over 2000 companies,
    media,
         organizations, programs and projects, standards)
       *  Guide to Computer Vendors
    
       *  ABACON Telecommunications (manufacturer and distributor of
         telecommunications equipment and supplies)
       *  Accent Software International, Ltd. (multilingual software for
    the
         WWW)
     
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    
    
       *  Desktop Videoconferencing Products Survey (Names, Features)
       *  Develcon Electronics, Ltd. (Local and remote LAN access products:
         Ethernet and Token Ring hubs, bridges, routers, etc.)
       *  DigiPhone (Complete full-duplexing phone system for PC's,
    allowing
         real time two-way voice conversations over the Internet)
>>>>>> *  Digital Equipment Corporation (Cable data modem manufacturer)
       *  DigiBoard Hardware and software connectivity: multiuser systems,
         remote LAN connectivity and LAN connectivity/terminal servers
       *  DirecPC (Broadband Service)
       *  EDS (Electronic Data Systems)
       *  Enterprise Information Technologies(R&D and consulting company
         specializing in information technology for electronic commerce,
         collaborative engineering and agile manufacturing)
     
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    
    
    derek

    Well, there WAS a product (don't recall the name, and I don't know
    whether it's still current) which transmits EtherNet across two blank
    cable channels, so while their focus is too narrow, it IS on (a tiny
    part of our) target.
    

    Digital doesn't manufacture cable data modems. Never did. We relabeled
    modems from LANCity called ChannelWorks, but those are sold out.
    Someone has their wires crossed (but it doesn't hurt to get our name
    listed there since we do a pretty good business in the network
    consulting org. setting up and installing cable data systems.)
    
    Debbie