I have just returned from NetWorld + Interop in Atlanta. This year,
it was NetWorld + Interop + Comdex all rolled into one. In my 5+ years
of attending this show, I have never seen a sadder site than what was
presented at the Georgia World Congress Center last week.
There are two large exhibit halls on the main level of the GWCC. For
the last several years (last year's show opened on Sept. 11, 2001; I
was en route and turned back when the terrorist attacks of that day
occurred so I never made it to that show), both of these exhibit halls
have been lined wall-to-wall with booths, and the aisles are usually
lined with people. This year, about 2/3 of one hall was taken up with
booths, and I had no problem maneuvering around the place.
When it was announced earlier in the year that both Novell (who
confounded NetWorld several years ago and traditionally the largest
exhibitor) and Microsoft had pulled out of this year's show, I knew we
had problems. Several other smaller vendors declined to exhibit as
well.
The vendor with the most floor space this year was Computer
Associates. There is nothing wrong with that. CA usually has a large
booth, and they have some great products.
However, the second largest exhibitor was Mercedes-Benz - the car
company. No, they have not branched out into the technology sector.
They were simply showing off their automobiles. Theirs was actually the
most intriguing presence there. Any attendee who showed a valid
driver's license and filled out a short form was taken by bus to a
lower parking lot where they could test drive any or all of several
different Mercedes vehicles. Sadly, it was about the most interesting
thing going.
The fact that a company with absolutely nothing to do with
technology was the second-largest exhibitor at NetWorld + Interop says
a lot, and none of it is good. The economy in general has taken a
downturn in the last couple of years, but the technology sector has
been especially hard hit. Companies no longer have unlimited budgets
for marketing and trade shows.
Three years ago, the free T-shirts flowed like water. I am not
exaggerating when I say that you could walk by a booth, hold up your
hand, and they would toss you a shirt or hat. This year, I left Atlanta
with a grand total of one shirt (for which I had to sit through an
interminable magic show) and one hat (which I got for driving a
Mercedes). There really is no such thing as a free lunch, and judging
by the T-shirt bellwether, marketing budgets are being severely
pared.
No one is selling because no one is buying. If manufacturers thought
that more marketing dollars would translate into more sales, they would
continue to spend. But the harsh reality is that IT budgets have been
cut across the board.
Another thing that struck me about this year's show was the almost
complete absence of any truly original products. There was nothing in
the exhibit hall that made you say, "Wow! What a great idea!"
Innovation is dead, and it is not completely Microsoft's fault.
The Monopoly That Roared has done more than its fair share to stifle
creativity over the years, but they are not alone. Dell, Intel, Compaq,
Gateway, and other smaller players have, to varying degrees, tried
force a "one size fits all" mentality on the public.
Apple has stood virtually alone in the arena of innovation. It is no
coincidence that they also stand virtually alone in the arena of
profitability. When asked about how Apple would weather the economic
slump, CEO Steve Jobs replied, "We will innovate our way out of it." He
also gave essentially the same statement when asked what he would do to
return the company to viability upon his return to an Apple ship that
was on the verge of sinking in 1997. It worked the first time, and it
continues to work.
With the maturation of OS X and the introduction of Xserve, Apple has a winning combination for the
enterprise. The challenge is letting the enterprise know. Apple needs
to take their road show to NetWorld + Interop next year (if there is a
next year for this show).
In Atlanta, several wireless access points were set up throughout
the GWCC. You could bring your own 802.11b-equipped notebook, and HP
had provided several Compaq laptops for attendee use. On a scale of 1
to 10, I would rate these a flop. Connectivity wavered on and off,
despite the access point being mounted just a few feet above the table
of computers. Many users could not get connected, for no apparent
reason. The frustration level of those trying to do something as simple
as checking their email was high.
In the past, Novell had provided a huge area of wired computers with
Internet access, all for the free use of those attending the
conference. With Novell's pullout, apparently HP and a wireless vendor
which I shall not name (mainly to protect the guilty) were left to fill
the void as best they could.
Now, fast-forward to September 2003. Imagine AirPort base stations
scattered all over the place. AirPort is industry-standard 802.11b, so
PCs as well as Macs and Linux boxes could connect. Instead of black
notebooks completely devoid of personality, how
about iBooks or even
flat-panel iMacs
provided for public use?
If Apple's goal is to give a large number of hard-core technologists
hands-on experience with Apple products, this is the time and place to
do it. Make sure all Macs have a desktop shortcut to a terminal window,
and make sure you are prepared to take orders onsite. Call me
old-fashioned, but I still believe that if you build a better product,
the buyers will come. Apple has a better product, and, with enough
exposure, the sales will surely follow.
Best Advertising Award Goes To...
On the inside front cover of the Sept. 9, 2002 edition of Network
World is the best ad I have seen in a long time:
What Windows Does for the IT World,
The Sun LX50 Server Undoes
The LX50 appears to be a 1U rack-mount server complete with
operating system (your choice of Linux or Sun's own Solaris) and
unlimited user connection licenses that costs $2,795, slightly less
than Apple's Xserve, which is also an all-in-one solution. Let's see, a
complete hardware and software bundle which will support hundreds of
users for less you would pay for a 25-user license of Windows 2000
Advanced Server (hardware sold separately).
Thank you, Sun. Thank you, Apple.
