GARBAGE IN / GARBAGE OUT
HA! I fooled you! You thought this was going to be a Sales and Systems Newsletter, didn't you? Let me introduce this year's model (insert DPI Kazooband playing the Toyota theme song here)--IMAGE. If you look past the pretty color, you'll notice our circulation has skyrocketed from a meager 144 to 400!!
The reason for the increase-is that FIELD ENGINEERING has subscribed to the newsletter (an obvious display of excellent taste). In lieu of changing the name to Sales, Systems and Support Newsletter, "IMAGE" kind of stuck in my throat. Welcome to the mad world of the Ears, Nose and Mouth of DPI, Field Engineers! Glad to have your support.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Shirley Stough, an eccentric technical writer in Marketing Publications & Training. I came aboard in 1974 as an Executive Secretary and joined Pubs. & Trng. in April 1977. "Phrog Ink." is my pseudonym, and sometimes I answer to "Sister Boogie Woman." Take your pick. you can reach me at DPI Headquarters, extension 182. I'm always open for articles, information, feedback, etc., for the newsletter. I'd love to hear from you.
The primary objective of the newsletter is to informally communicate information relative to the sale and support of DPI systems. This periodical is not intended to replace official publications, but to supplement those publications with up-to-date additions, changes, etc. In addition, IMAGE is your source for keeping up with DPI happenings.
Which brings me to another subject...Guess why there wasn't a newsletter in January? Because there was NOTHING to put in it. For shame! Do you realize how long it's been since I've had a programming or software tip? Disgusting! I'm not asking for a final draft or a perfect article; all I need is something to get me on the right track. Let's show a little enthusiasm out there and send or phone some help to a poor, starving editor!
David A. Hurd
1934 - 1918
Data Pathing Incorporated offers our deepest
condolences
at the loss of our friend and colleague, David A. Hurd
Where does a man's heart put the pain
Of knowing his time is short?
How much love does it take
To store away the hurt,
Not reminding his family and friends
Of the inevitable sadness?
How many have had the chance
To appreciate a great man
One who cares and loves enough
to shoulder the burden of his own passing?
How many, if any, will grow and learn
from the example of that man's strength?
It saddens me to say
I never took the opportunity
to know that man
and tell him of my respect.
S. Stough
Managers Hit Jackpot in Vegas
You can bet that the Sales/Systems/Service Managers' Meeting held in Las Vegas during the week of February 6-10 resulted in a significant payoff for the attendees. Regional managers from Sales, Systems and Field Engineering met at the Sahara Hotel with representatives of the various Marketing Support groups to review 1977, reveal plans for 1978 and take a peek at future product line developments.
A recap of the 1977 performance showed that although not all of our booking/revenue goals were achieved, it was a very successful year in terms of profitability.
Odds are for significant growth in booking/revenue for 1978 and the optimism among the sales force was very evident. Some unfortunate souls allowed that optimism to prevail during post-meeting strolls through the casinos.
New product announcements were distributed for the DDM derivatives--BDM and RDM. Details of the new 104 terminal and a new low cost offering referred to as System 15 were discussed. Development plans for the portable terminal as well as some exciting planned additions to the current product line gave an indication of DPI's movement into new application areas. Soon to be released enhancements for improved performance and function in DCOS, AIDE and MITOS were also included in the agenda.
The status of many of the projects which grew out of the now-famous "Pajaro Meeting" was recapped, and physical evidence of close encounters with solutions to many problem areas was distributed for review--a Sales Administration Manual, for example.
Publications & Training introduced a proposal for use of video demonstration programs of DPI products using Betamax video cassette players. A pilot tape demonstrating the MIT 130 Subsystem was previewed. This project was produced by our own Shirley Stough, whose hands have been nominated for Best Supporting Role by a Phrog. (Phrog: Honest, folks--I didn't write this article!) Details on this exciting project will be firmed up and revealed in the near future.
All in all, it was a very profitable meeting; if not in dollars for the gamblers, at least in the richness of wisdom. Of very important note was the fact that not once during the entire meeting did Pete "Thumper" Coble fall off his chair, and NOBODY got away with a free lunch. (Confidential to Thumper: The Sahara Hotel would like their high chair back.)
DPI Official Profit/Loss Statement: Gene Mascoli/Don Villarrubia
They're out!! DPI's newest, slickest disk management systems are here!!!!
Formerly referred to as "DDM", BDM (Basic Data Management) and RDM (Relational Data Management) represent a significant advance in the implementation of data base structures available to a DPI Source Data Management system.
Skip "Merlin" McCusker, our Central Regional wizard, has gathered field creatures from all over the country to teach the wonders and magnificence of these data base management systems.
Coinciding with the release of these field creatures teeming with new wisdom, the BDM/RDM Announcement package will be distributed within the next week or two.
1977 WINNERS CIRCLE OF NEW CUSTOMERS
Ref: Assets Administration Lease Balance Reports 1977
Addressograph Multigraph
American Shipbuilding
Automatic Switch
Bell Helicopter
Bethlehem Steel, Steelton
Bostitch
Brown, Boveri & CEI
Caterpillar Davenport
Caterpillar Tech. Center
Clark Jackson
Drilco
F M C
Fafnir Bearing
Ford Casting Division
G.E. Aerospace
Greenfield Tap & Die
Hudson Products
ITT Grinell
ITT Telecommunications
John Deere Des Moines
Ladish
Mack Trucks, Hayward
Marval Poultry
Raymond Corp.
Ritter (Sybron)
Schatz Federal Bearing
Schenck AG
Shepard Niles
Smith & Wesson
Southern Airways
Sperry New Holland
T W A
Titmus Optical
RUNNING ENTHUSIASTS--JOG ASIDE FOR CINDER-EDDIE HUNGENBERG
Dale Hungenberg, Senior Technical Writer (the one in the NARF hat), spent her December vacation in Honolulu, egging her faster half and her young son on in the gruesome 26 mile, 385 yard Hawaii Marathon.
61-year-old Ed Hungenberg, retired Lockheed Quality Control Engineer, was one of the 3,073 participants; 97% of which completed the race. Ed, who is Dale's husband and Application Programmer Deanne Vassiliadis' father, was among the finishers and clocked in at 5 hours and 55 minutes.
The winner of the tropical scamper was a 22-year-old who trotted over the wire after only 2 hours and 19 minutes. Runners ages ranged from 6 to 71 years.
Dale's son (Deanne's brother), Scott, who is stationed in Honolulu, also participated in the race. Unfortunately, Scott was recovering from a rare and exotic disease (known as the flu), and was only able to run 15 miles. (Phrog: Did I say "ONLY"????)
Thirty-nine years ago, Ed Hungenberg ran fast enough to catch Dale as his wife; today, Dale is going to have to take up jogging just to keep up with her active husband.
WRINGING OUT THE OLD; WINGING IN THE NEW
1977 closed with a bang and the Northeast region and some dedicated headquarters creatures had cause for a New Year celebration.
In mid-December, a New Jersey customer began having some difficulties. After a bout of fingerprinting (Hardware! Software! Headquarters!), all areas rallied together to tackle the problem.
When the chips are down, you can traditionally count on DPI to come through in the end. And end it was! On New Year's Eve, Charlie Renna, N.E. Regional Field Engineering Manager, John Hughes, N.E. Regional Specialist and Rich Chase, N.E. Field Engineer, along with the DPI coordinator at the customer site and Russ Mann, Sunnyvale, got it all together and solved the problem--with a full two hours to spare before 1978 arrived.
Special recognition is in order for these headquarters and field creatures. IMAGE wants to know if any specific new year's resolutions came out of that effort?
Random Notes:
Welcome Lynn Brandhorst to the DPI Partially-Eaten Birthday Cake Club.
Snow shoveler for hire. Will clear your driveway at firs flake of snow. Contact RM c/o Detroit office.
TRIVINOSTALGIA DEPARTMENT
What former DPI Sales Rep from the Northeast region won a sales contest in early 1969 by achieving 166% of quota? (Hint: the grand prize was $50, round trip airfare for two and a room at NYC's Waldorf Astoria). {Bill's hint: you will find the answer in the Data-Line's published elsewhere}.
FEs Got Class !
You super observant old-timers out there in FE land may have noticed some new field creatures among you. We were fortunate enough to train (and graduate) 18 students in Class 51. They were in Sunnyvale from mid-September through mid-December (some a bit longer) to receive as much information as we could stuff into them. Recognizing that all new FEs require a short time to season, develop and dry behind the ears, please make them feel welcome and give them assistance if and when they need it.
For your information, the new FEs and their initial primary sites as follows:
Tim Belcher- Boeing, Vertol Div., Philadelphia, PA
Bob Bias- General Dynamics, Fort Worth, TX
Mary Dibble - Speidel, Providence, RI
Mark Ford - GE Medical, Milwaukee, WI
Bob Grant - Schatz Bearing, Poughkeepsie, NY
Bob Graves - Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, TX
Dean Grossnickle - McDonnell Douglas, Long Beach, CA
Bernie Hixon - Avondale, New Orleans, LA
Kevin McGowan - Caterpillar, E. Peoria, IL
Mathias Menrath - Caterpillar, Davenport, IA
Martin Murray - Caterpillar, E. Peoria, IL
Wolfgang Oesohner - Germany
Stephen Ogar - Massey Ferguson, Brentford, Canada
Pat Tolle - Bendix, Sidney, NY
Dave Westfall - Westinghouse, Baltimore, MD
Dave Wilmoth - Westinghouse, Charlotte, NC
Jim Woolridge - Avondale, New Orleans, LA
Guido Zimmerman - Switzerland
Three individuals joined Class 51 in late October and received an accelerated course to enable them to graduate with the others. The Better-Late-Than-Never-Comers are:
Tom Franks - Sundstrand, Denver, CO
Dave King - England
Pat Spahn - John Deere Dubuque, IA
During the first half of December, two courses on the MIT 130 Subsystem and on the Univac Card Punch were conducted simultaneously. The MIT course was instructed by Ray Jensen, Larry Perkins and Ken McDaniel of the Sunnyvale Training staff. Buck Swofford, a Service Manager from the Mid-Atlantic region, shared his expertise on the Card Punch.
Attendees of the MIT presentation were:
Mary Dibble - Continuation from Class 51
Bob Graves - " " "
Dean Grossnickle - " " "
Marty Murray - " " "
Wolfgang Oeschner - " " "
Guido Zimmerman - " " "
John Miller - Arnold Engineering, Marengo, IL
Al Sidell - AC Spark Plug, Flint, MI
Richard Ross - Carpenter Technology, Reading, PA
Attending the Card Punch presentation were:
Ray Gerlach - Caterpillar, E. Peoria, IL
Perry Granum - Pan American Airlines, NY
Charles Langjahr - Pan American Airlines, NY
Mel Stewart - TRW Valve, Cleveland, OH
Bill Stibich - Naval Weapons, Louisville, KY
Russ Parr - Technical Support Staff, Sunnyvale
Larry Perkins - Training Staff, Sunnyvale
A special comment: The Card Punch course prompted many favorable comments on Buck's thorough presentation of the material. Buck, your contribution to the overall training effort is very much appreciated.
FIELD TRAINING
It appears that some of the "old hands" out in the field refuse to let well enough alone. In the past couple of months, they've been taking the P.I.s and audio cassettes offered by Training. The culprits (in order of culpritism) are:
Ken Pleat - Central
Terrie Polasky - Central
Tim Kiurski - Central
Rick Orr - Mid-Atlantic
Al Repp - Mid-Atlantic
Al Mercer - Northeast
Bob Yarco - Western
Congratulations to all of you for a job well done! Mr. Peripheral
Congratulations to John Deere Dubuque Field Engineer Mark Vollmers, new Assistant Director of the John Deere Barbershop Chorus.