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Claudia Imhoff Interview of Me Available as Podcast

Claudia Imhoff interviewed me* and Frank Dravis for a podcast at the last Data Warehouse Institute conference. The mp3 is available on their site, along with podcasts from a legion of other people in the industry. Yes, I know they left my name off the podcast title, but that's fame for you. Make a few baskets, do a little dance, and everyone's embarrassed to use your name...

It's too bad about the Pitney-Bowes acquisition of Firstlogic. I really like them as a vendor. Has some of the nicest people I've met in a software company. I think that comes from being in the Midwest, away from the coastal extremes. I saw that once before at some startups populated by folks from Wisconsin. I think all software companies should be started an run by people from Wisconsin. The programmers would be happier, the customers would be treated better and the products would probably do what they're supposed to.

Hopefully Firstlogic will be left alone to do the work they were doing. I haven't figured out what P-B is trying to do in this market with their acquisitions. The purchase is odd to me too. $50 million for the outstanding ~90% of the company, when the company makes $55M per year in revenue? Awfully low for an established high-tech company, particularly one with very good technology. I keep wondering if there wasn't some secret pressuring somewhere, sort of like the IBM purchase of Sequent. Man, did that deal have the sleazy fingerprints of manipulation all over it.
*"I" always sounds right but I'm assured this is grammatically correct

Posted by Mark Monday, September 19, 2005 10:15:00 PM | permalink |