Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!killer!vector!nobody From: algor2!jeffrey@uunet.UU.NET (jeffrey) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: AT&T alleges dumping Message-ID: Date: 11 Jan 89 18:44:09 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Lines: 41 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 14, message 1 I was very sad to read that AT&T has descended to Japan-bashing. It is a company for which I have the greatest respect. They have been a generous client, and even if that had not been the case, as a UNIX programmer I would still owe them my livelihood. Their ability to plan for the long term is unequaled. However, it seems clear that the Japanese equipment is not underpriced, except in comparison to the AT&T stuff. I had looked at the AT&T phone systems, and the sales people acted as if they already had a government enforced monopoly. The system was completely incompatible, even with other AT&T equipment. In short, AT&T has yet to make a serious attempt to compete with the foreign systems, in price or openness, and their recent "anti-dumping" action seems to indicate they would rather solve the problem with lawyers than engineers. Unfortunately, we expect this sort of thing from American firms, but I had every reason to hope AT&T would be an exception. Phone systems, even Japanese ones, still are high priced, and tend to lock customers into the vendor's equipment, and limit the customer's expansion options. The solution for this is competition. Phone systems could be an important source of innovation in our economy, rather than a major overhead. However, if foreign makers are locked out, this innovation will be slowed in the United States. Our foreign competitors are going to have access to cheaper and better phone systems than Americans. I would hope our "solution" to the DRAM "dumping problem" would have taught all involved a lesson. Our chip prices skyrocketed, sales of thousands of U.S. products were hurt, the Japanese companies did just fine without our markets, thank you, and the two American companies that did make money are spending it on suing each other. I am not sure my business could survive many more attempts to protect my job. AT&T is perfectly capable of beating the Japanese by producing a quality, reasonably priced product--and of selling it in Japan. Not to even try is unworthy of a company which represents the very best of business in America, and therefore the world. -- Jeffrey Kegler, President, Algorists 1788 Wainwright DR, Reston VA 22090 jeffrey@algor2.UU.NET or uunet!algor2!jeffrey