[Third post, USRX]
When I arrived at the USRX booth (after a beer and a few Brats)they had some guy positioned in front of a television screen going through a slide presentation. I didn't even bother listening. Just giving background information out to the newbies of the technology. I found the display terminals and looked for somebody who might be knowledgeable. Just my luck, there was an English conversation happening between a group of people with UK accents. Right as I leaned in the USRX guy picked up a cream colored modem saying:
USRX: "The viper modem is fully operable today and has been designed to support either CAP or DMT technologies". I leaned in and asked:
Eric: "Is this modem running on CAP or DMT right now?" And the guy responds:
USRX: "It's CAP today because it was cheap and dirty but we are going to support also DMT. This product is shipping today but I will tell you that we are not religious. It will run using either technology. In fact in 1998 it will be operating with both CAP, DMT, Analog as well as IDSN". (Just then another guy leaned in and said:
USRX2: "Hi how are you ?" He put out his hand and the guy I was talking to just up and takes off.
(Oh I get it. tag team championship wrestling... where is Hulk Hogan? I introduced myself and the guy starts up by wanting to show me their slide presentation).
Eric: "I've seen it and I only have a few questions. First, there has been rumor going around on the internet that there were trails that were done with BT in England. One of the findings were that the CAP based solution introduced considerable RFI into the airwaves causing havoc among the HAM radio operators. Do you know if this rumor is true or not?
USRX2: "Let me check" he said. He then turned around and asked his colleagues and nobody knew anything. He turned back to me and said "Give me a way to get a hold of you and I will make sure you get an answer. I have experts back in Vienna or Chicago who can answer that for me.
(I have heard this before. I'll give my business card 12 hours before it finds its way to the circular file. I know this sounds negative, but his tone in the way which he did this gave me not one a bit of confidence. And since this was an American from Ohio I could read him perfectly).
Eric: "Second question, when do you expect to have the DMT portion of this modem operating?"
USRX2: I don't know, It all depends on the chip makers. We have yet to select one and right now with the 3COM/USRX merger things are even more confusing.
Eric: Have you heard any names thrown around?
USRX2: No not really.
Eric: "Well which suppliers do you consider leading candidates?"
USRX2: I don't know. I should tell you that I have only been with the company for 6 weeks but we just hired 4 more people back in the office so things can get only better.
Eric: "How about prices?"
USRX2: "Today the prices are $1500 for each side of each line and that is our field trial costs. We expect those costs to drop to about « to 1/3 of that." (soon I think he meant). He then started separating out costs, "$495 for the modem, $50 for the pots splitter, now multiple this by two since you need the same on the other end of the line, and dont forget you need another $750 dollars on the telco side for." (Ok, now I was dizzy and I felt that USRX was enough for me. Time to move on and find another chair) -Eric
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