Happy April Fools...
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 1998--Sun
Microsystems, Inc. today introduced a radical new company initiative
that bans the use of acronyms.
Sun believes that the elimination of acronyms will reduce time to
market, foster innovation, provide customers with open,
standards-based solutions, provide a competitive advantage, leverage
synergies and reduce time spent on defining, marketing and then
redefining acronyms after they become obscured and embattled in the
marketplace.
Acronyms, which were originally created to simplify complex
subjects, have become so cumbersome and costly that they have outlived
their usefulness. For example, it is estimated that nearly $20 billion
was spent in 1997 alone trying to define the term TCO.
Sun's strategy eliminates the difficulties associated with
acronyms by banning them outright. Now Sun scientists, engineers and
marketing personnel worldwide will be asked to use real words when
describing technologies, products, protocols, standards bodies, market
issues and key phrases, including "as soon as possible" and "for your
information."
"It's a paradigm shift," said Scott McNealy, chief executive
officer (formerly CEO) for Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Acronym-based
communications were the first wave of the Information Age. Word-based
communications are the next generation. We are making it a strict
policy here at Sun to use words, not letters, to demonstrate to the
world that it works."
Along with its radical new proposal, Sun is forming a consortium
of industry-leading companies to combat the use of acronyms. Silicon
Valley leaders are expected to submit a proposal to the ISO later this
year, after they figure out what ISO stands for.
The company is making one exception, which is the use of the word
Sun, which aside from being a real word, is an acronym for either
"Stanford University Network" or "Simplify UNIX(TM) Now," depending on
whom you ask.
In addition, Sun is providing counseling to employees, who may
experience disorientation, memory lapses, anxiety, panic attacks,
antisocial behavior and other symptoms of trauma as a result of
withdrawal from acronyms. Sun makes the following recommendations to
its employees:
*T
1. Don't quit cold turkey. Begin by avoiding longer acronyms, such
as TCP/IP and PCMCIA, to wean yourself off acronyms slowly.
2. Practice using words at lunch with co-workers.
3. When you feel compelled to use an acronym, call a friend or find
other ways to distract yourself until the feeling subsides.
4. Wait ten minutes, and then ask yourself if you really need that
acronym.
5. If all else fails, step outside, say it, and then return to your
office. Act like nothing happened.
6. Finally, forgive yourself when you use an acronym. It takes
practice, but before you know it, complete words and sentences
will flow naturally from you.
*T
For those employees for whom Sun's six-step acronym plan doesn't
bring relief, the company will also provide group support sessions and
a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week crisis hot line.
Due to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, the stock
market symbol for Sun will remain unchanged.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is
The Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ "SUNW"
(See, we said we couldn't change that.)) to its position as a leading
provider of hardware, software and services for establishing
enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet.
With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more
than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com.
CONTACT: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lorenzo, 650/786-7737
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED
KEY: SUNFXB
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