dcr0@gte.com (David Robbins) (09/14/89)
From article <telecom-v09i0367m01@vector.dallas.tx.us>, by kitty!larry@uunet. uu.net (Larry Lippman): > In article <telecom-v09i0361m03@vector.dallas.tx.us> myerston@cts.sri.com > writes: >> At least >some< of GTE's service problems are the result of >> equipment provided (foisted?) by the infamous Automatic Electric and >> its successors. > While I have great respect for the quality of Western Electric > apparatus, I have an equal degree of respect for the quality of apparatus > manufactured by the various GTE operations, having had firsthand experience > with the products of both organizations. > <> FAX 716/741-9635 | 716/773-2488 "Have you hugged your cat today?" > ... > [Moderator's Note: Well Larry, your history is right on the mark. Many > people are amazed to find out that Automatic Electric -- and not Bell > -- 'invented' the dial phone system. And an old story has it that the > inventor did so because he was paranoid about the operators diverting > profitable business calls from him to one of his competitors. Any > truth to that? PT] Any truth to that? Yea, verily! Almon B. Strowger was a mortician. He invented the dial phone precisely because he feared (whether rightly or wrongly I don't know) that the operators were (or might have been) diverting his calls to his competitors. The history of Strowger switching was one of things most everybody who worked for Automatic Electric learned very early on the job. Not all of us may have thoroughly memorized the story, but as best as I can recall the facts are as the moderator suspected. Larry is also right on the mark in regards to switching equipment. I worked on the #1 EAX and the GTD-5 EAX, and I wouldn't contradict anything he said. Of course, since I still work for GTE, my opinion might still tend to be favorable towards the company. And of course anything I say here is strictly my own opinion -- I do not and cannot represent GTE in any way. I have no desire to comment on the GTE-bashing that resulted in the article to which I have responded here. Dave Robbins GTE Laboratories Incorporated drobbins@gte.com 40 Sylvan Rd. ...!harvard!bunny!drobbins Waltham, MA 02254