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." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------