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Cyhist Apr 3 1997 C
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Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 10:00:56 -0800
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: "Mark Stahlman (via RadioMail)" <stahlman@RADIOMAIL.NET>
Subject: Re: CM> The Rise and Fall of Wang
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Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Folks:
I also worked for Wang Labs (from 1981-83) and was associated with the company and their products for many years (particularly 1973-81). My job at Wang was as director of WangNet, which made me Mr. Broadband at the time (I chaired the IEEE 802.7 committee from its inception) and gave me the chance to work very closely with An Wang (as WangNet was his last major, personal product effort). I helped him to solve the problem of collision detection under conditions of various FM modulation schemes (needed to really do Ethernet on Broadband) and got to know and admire him greatly.
His "retirement" and handing over the company to Fred is a shorthand way to understand the company's demise but, as usual, the picture was far more interesting and complex. No one really thought Fred could run the company, so other trusted advisors really took over and it was they who blew it -- not Fred. Internal politics were particularly vicious and without An at the helm, the lesser folks who fought for boosting their own positions really sealed the company's fate. It was more like a dynastic overthrow from within as the emperor's weak son was taken advantage by the courtiers than a more typical corporate crisis, in my experience.
Mark Stahlman
New Media Associates
New York City
newmedia@mcimail.com
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: "Mark Stahlman (via RadioMail)" <stahlman@RADIOMAIL.NET>
Subject: Re: CM> The Rise and Fall of Wang
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Folks:
I also worked for Wang Labs (from 1981-83) and was associated with the company and their products for many years (particularly 1973-81). My job at Wang was as director of WangNet, which made me Mr. Broadband at the time (I chaired the IEEE 802.7 committee from its inception) and gave me the chance to work very closely with An Wang (as WangNet was his last major, personal product effort). I helped him to solve the problem of collision detection under conditions of various FM modulation schemes (needed to really do Ethernet on Broadband) and got to know and admire him greatly.
His "retirement" and handing over the company to Fred is a shorthand way to understand the company's demise but, as usual, the picture was far more interesting and complex. No one really thought Fred could run the company, so other trusted advisors really took over and it was they who blew it -- not Fred. Internal politics were particularly vicious and without An at the helm, the lesser folks who fought for boosting their own positions really sealed the company's fate. It was more like a dynastic overthrow from within as the emperor's weak son was taken advantage by the courtiers than a more typical corporate crisis, in my experience.
Mark Stahlman
New Media Associates
New York City
newmedia@mcimail.com
______________________________________________________________________
