Author: Matt

“Don’t think about us as a phone company anymore. Think of us as an on-ramp to the Internet.”

US West marketing VP Mike Rouleau, who should be happy people think about his company and its endangered local-phone monopoly at all, News.com, 2 August 1999

“There’s a whole upshot of new companies and startups taking off and it’s much more effective to be part of the community.”

Microsoft VP Tod Nielsen, on his company’s efforts to blend invisibly with the Silicon Valley startup crowd, so that the resistance ends quietly, Marketing Computers, 1 August 1999 (issue date)

“The Internet now offers a cyber version of the French Revolution in which one can become a member of a new, cool elite.”

Computer expert Joachim Fischer, on the asocial revolution the Net has kicked into gear, the London Evening Standard, 28 July 1999

“The entertainment pie is growing, but each slice of the pie is getting smaller. Rather than be in the slice business, as many entertainment companies are, we feel we have to be in the pie business to succeed.”

Larry Kasanoff, CEO of Threshold Entertainment, on how his multimedia company intends to get its cut, Redherring.com, 29 July 1999

“If [Microsoft] introduces interoperability without a deal with us, it’s a hack, and it doesn’t really work.”

Barry Schuler, president of AOL Interactive Services, on America Online’s strategy of sticking its head up the security holes in its instant messaging clients, instead of embracing open standards, Interactive Week, 23 July 1999