marc@haddock.UUCP (01/29/86)
WHO: Metagraphics, inc.
WHERE: 30 Commerce Way
Woburn, MA
(617) 935-6380
BACKGROUND:
This company, a startup firm founded early in '83, was to design,
develope and support a "Drawing conversion system" based on an
intelligent database which accurately represented a mechanical part
according to its notational dimensions.
The employees of the company took a 2.5 year period to complete the
first shipable version of what has been eventually called the M4200.
Durring this time, the majority of the staff and the work laid in
the hands of the engineering groups which represented more then half
of the company during the developement cycle.
WHAT:
As in any startup company, the critical stage is the time period of
about 6 to 12 months between preliminary development and initial
marketing. Metagraphics is now just getting to the end of this critical
stage. Durring this stage some interresting events have occured...
With venture capital due to run out in 12/85, the board of directors
made the decision that a layoff was necessary (after all, everybody
else was doing it!) and cut 25% of it's engineering staff. This took
place in 10/85 and was said that by doing so would allow the remaining
money take them into early '86.
A few days prior to the layoff, one of the engineers left for another
small company in the Waltham area (he noticed the writing on the walls).
Soon after the layoff, 2 more engineers left for greener pastures
leaving only 50% of the staff. The most recent developments? Yesterday,
1/28/86, the VP of engineering resigned. A few weeks ago, the president
was removed from his position, and in 2 to 3 weeks all of the people
remaining in the systems/graphics group will have left.
THE RESULTS:
Below is a list of the engineering staff and their current status:
Larry Gozard, VP engineering, XRC
Dr. Robin Hillyard, MGR databases/rectification, Metagraphics
Bob Congdon, database, Cognition
Russ Holden, database, Polygen
Dr. Julian Cole, rectification, (Not Working)
Peirung Lu, rectification, Metagraphics
Tom Morrow, rectification, Metagraphics
Jim Taggart, MGR systems/graphics, (Soon to be announced)
Bill Clements, graphics, (Soon to be announced)
Dr. Eric Berger, character recognition, (On Wall Street)
Brian Kimmerer, user interfaces, Contrex
Marc Evans, hardware interfaces, Interactive Systems
Jim Newcomb, MGR dimensioning/translators, Metagraphics
Dick Field, CV database translator, Metagraphics (looking)
Rick Difronzo, IGES database translator, Metagraphics
Borris Tanembaum, IGES database translator, Metagraphics (looking)
Reza Rasogi, IGES/CV database translator, Telesis
Ed Weed, dimensioning, Imaging Technologies
Raj Tolani, dimensioning, Metagraphics (looking)
Ajay Argawald, dimensioning, Metagraphics
I would guess that the bottom line here is that the company will probably
not make it, although the technology will probably be bought by somebody. It
should be interresting to see what the future will bring for this company
the S. Klein Newsletter once wrote up as "A collection of people which reads
like a list of Who's Who in computer graphics."
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Marc Evans, WB1GRH | Usual disclaimers, character graphic pictures and
Interactive Systems Corp. | whatever else might creep into this portion of a
Boston, MA | signiture...
(617) 247-1155 |
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