Jason,
Keep in mind that the IBM/HP/DEC/CPQ/TANDEM model does work very well in creating a mature business. IBM for it's giant size is remarkably light on its feet-- not as light as Dell, for sure, but they usered in the PC biz, of course.
Interesting to keep in mind that the old "main frames" of IBM have NOW become the NEW, BIG SERVERS. Old machines, new way of looking at them, and, as I believe I just read, they are to be configurable as web servers which thoroughly integrates the old "iron" into the new info network.
And re CPQ/DEC... the next 2-3 years are where the market plays out WinNT, UNIX, VMS on Pentium family machines, ALpha machines, and Merced base machines. No OTHER company will be so well positioned in the enterprise market to go with the winning solution(s) for the next 2-5 years. Compaq is clearly sufficiently adept to stay with what wins, drop what doesn't and shift to what does... they have a much better position than any other ocmpany out there to do exactly this kind of a win-stay/lose-shift strategy.
Doug |
