Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Well, for one thing, today is the summer solstice
On June 21, 1988, IBM introduced the Application System/400 (AS/400). It was a hot and humid day in Rochester, and John Akers was present for the announce-day festivities. I remember Mr. Akers standing in the hot sun talking to employees while sweat dripped off his forehead.
Many things have changed since then. John Akers was succeeded by Lou Gerstner and Sam Palmisano, and the AS/400 was succeeded by iSeries and System i. The men at the Rochester site don't wear ties anymore, either.
One of the things that has not changed is the dedication and commitment that the Rochester work force applies to the platform. They -- the work force -- represent all that is good and wholesome about IBM.
Btw, the summer solstice is not one of my favorite events. It means that our days start to get shorter and that winter is just around the corner.
