The millenium show has begun. Everything from TV specials to specially made time-pieces is focused on the march to the year 2000. Neither
VARBusiness, nor the industry itself, is old enough to look back on the last 1,000 years. But as the New Year approaches, we'll raise our glasses to old Father Time and look back with fondness, interest and irony on the events of the last 10.
In this first in a series of looks at significant events of the decade, we examine the trends and issues that made the cover of VARBusiness in each of the past 10 years. Step back in time with us and revisit the most significant cover stories of the decade.
1989
In the News: In China, students are demonstrating on Tianamen Square. A company called Stone is the first to sell computers in the Peoples' Republic and the fax machine becomes the new instruments of social change as democracy activists fax messages of freedom into the country. Closer to home, leveraged buyouts demonstrate their own power as a force of change.
In August, a two-year-old VARBusiness takes a look at mergers and acquisitions. In his feature, "Takeovers Take Over," then senior editor Mark Kindley says the industry is remaking itself, going through an ongoing process of consolidation: "VARs have to be especially quick to adapt or they risk getting rolled on, stepped on, or otherwise forced to swim upstream in an ecosystem in which all the other living things are bigger than they are."
1990
In the news: Business was booming, the stock market was at an all time high and Bill Gates was gaining attention as chairman of Microsoft Corp.
In the November cover story, "Intel: The Chipmaker That Ate the World," Kindley predicts "by the year 2000, Intel expects to produce multiprocessor CPUs with a combined performance of more than 2,000 million instructions per second, an 80-fold increase over the state-of-the-art 80486 chip." Intel is making the move from chip maker to microcomputer company. And with "$2.2 billion in 'excess cash,'" Intel has got what it takes to become a big player in the future.
1991
In the news: Intel introduces the 486 chips, Apple Computer Inc. releases its Macintosh Systems 7.0 and Microsoft issues DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 shows its face that spring.
A special spring issue accompanying Windows 3.1's debut features an exclusive interview as "Gates Opens Up." Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates tells VARBusiness "our strategy is a family of operating systems with DOS at the low end, Windows at the midrange and OS/2 at the high end."
1992
In the News: Windows and OS/2 slug it out.
In the June issue, "Against The Win: IBM's OS/2 Confronts a Windows World," features editor Mark Kindley writes: "Most industry observers say OS/2 is probably a year ahead of 32-bit Windows NT--which in contrast to Windows 3.1, will actually be an operating system."
1993
In the News: Digital video captures VARs' imaginations.
The November issue features "Building In Digital Video: Get a Head Start With Video in Your Applications," a complete look at digital video, declaring, "Digital video is a market as big as the future. VARs with vision should start getting involved in this new technology now." Brian Beams, director of Media Technologies at Andersen Consulting predicts that by the end of the decade videos will be regarded as simply another data type, and users will share video information as easily as they share spreadsheet and word processing files.
1994
In the News: Intel's Pentium chip hits the street.
In the June issue we cover, "Power Chips! Power Apps!: Building Tomorrow's Solutions...Today" looks at the new chips and the power they bring to the desktop. The PowerPC and the Alpha debut. But the Pentium clearly steals the show with its ability to run DOS, Windows, OS/2, Unix SVR4, iRMX, Windows NT, NeXTstep 486, Solaris 2.0 and SCO Unix.
1995
In the News: IBM takes a swing up and reaches out to VARs.
In the September issue T.C. Doyle, now executive editor, takes a look at IBM in, "IBM: The Empire Strikes Back." After its acquisition of Lotus in July, IBM takes a look at its status and comes back with a program that will allow VARs to call themselves "IBM Authorized VARs." It also brings about a plan to generate more revenue...especially in the VAR channel. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, at that time the new general manager of RISC System 6000, says indirect channels offer IBM the most exciting possibilities.
1996
In the News: The Internet is the next big wave of change, and some VARs ride it by building sites for customer taking their businesses to the Web.
The Dec. 1 "Meet the New VARs" cover story introduces readers to a new breed of channel players who are staking out new business territory on the Internet. "The market opportunity is growing at an astronomical rate," says then 25-year-old USWeb founder and CEO Joe Firmage. Zona Research analyst Clay Rider agrees, saying, "a great deal of money is being spent on the Internet...when chaos reigns, consultancy thrives."
1997
In the News: A serious market for hand-held computers--all $684 million of one--is finally at hand. Microsoft bristles over its standing in VARBusiness' 1997 Annual Report Card.
In the Sept. 1 issue we examine Novell Inc.'s fall from grace in "The Novell Tragedy: From Noorda, To NetWare, To Nowhere." It company that once ruled the networking market now looks for ways to rise from the ashes. Novell VARs rethink their position, wondering where to move to remain on top of technology.
1998
In the News: Y2K concerns tickle the headlines.
On its April 13 cover, VARBusiness declares the year 2000 is "where the money is." VARs peg profits to their ability to fix Y2K dilemmas. Our survey of 200 VARBusiness readers shows that while VARs, integrators and consultants stand to profit mightily by offering Y2K services, only 42 percent are doing Y2K repairs and only 27 percent plan to provide Y2K services next year.
1999
In the News: The millenium looms. "E" business arrives and VARBusiness is on top of it.
The Nov. 8 E-Visionaries cover story highlights "Thirty leading executives who are shaping the future of e-business for the channel and industry." Executive Editor T.C. Doyle introduces the "e" leaders, industry leaders who are creating new markets using more than just smarts. They think big, they think fast...they think "e."
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