Digital Equipment has one of the longest pedigrees in the still young computer world. Long before there was a Microsoft or Compaq, Digital was technology king.
One reason Compaq decided to buy Digital recently was certainly this history.
Even today, with lots of competition, Digital is still a major player, especially at the high end with its powerful 64-bit Alpha servers.
Fred Sheu, marketing manager for Digital in Hong Kong, thinks this history gives Digital a technological edge.
'While others are just starting, Digital has years of experience bringing the power of 64-bit computing to its customers,' he said.
Two great advantages Digital possessed were its ability to provide systems that could grow and binary compatibility in that growth, Mr Sheu said.
Growth is important, of course, if you think your business will grow. A typical problem is an Internet server. Many companies do not want to spend a lot of money on an Internet server because they have no idea how successful it will be.