Take a Look!

I’ve watched a lot of hockey this year…  Congratulations to the new Professional Women’s Hockey League and PWHL Minnesota for winning the first-ever Walter Cup Championship!  Hockey was introduced to my family through a business colleague many years ago. Today, three generations later, we still find it rewarding and a pleasure to take pride in the challenges and successes of many hockey teams and leagues.

Sometimes I get nostalgic when I think back over the 50+ years that hockey has been a part of my life: seeing Wayne Gretsky play in Indianapolis before being drafted into the NHL, watching the 1980 US hockey team play in an exhibition before they became the Miracle on Ice; in the car coming back from a tournament trying to watch on a small antennae TV that same US hockey team play against Finland to win the Olympic Gold medal; more recently, a chance hockey game televised at a restaurant and realizing I recognized those players winning another Olympic Gold medal.  Much time, money, and dedication was spent on the love of the game. A lot of love, grit, and resilience continues to be spent by players and coaches worldwide to honor the sport.

I can’t help but compare some of my memories to those around the 50^th anniversary of NonStop. The 1970s was a difficult time in the business world, with innovations striving to make an impact during a recession, energy crisis, and high unemployment. The core team of engineers developing NonStop systems at a company called Tandem faced challenges and successes and dedicated a lot of love, grit, and resilience to their achievement. The coming together of business colleagues made a meaningful contribution to the computer industry back then and still applies today!

It wasn’t just the Tandem employees who contributed to that success – it was the many Users of NonStop who trusted and relied on the ‘then’ innovative NonStop technology to continue their company’s advantages and endurance in the business world.  Many, like my young husband-to-be, wanted to be a part of forward-thinking technology and became employed at a company that uses NonStop systems to learn and gain expertise for the future. These Users also dedicated time, love, grit, and resilience to the success of the NonStop.  They took that knowledge to become entrepreneurs and build products for the NonStop systems they love.

My nostalgia for NonStop runs the gamut of Tandem, Compaq, HP, and HPE employees too numerous to mention, as well as NonStop Partners over the years and our outstanding customers – the Users! We all contributed to the success of NonStop Systems and can take pride in our relationships and memories.

A familiar refrain in hockey is ‘Take A Look!’ It means situational awareness. See what is happening during the play and anticipate accordingly. In our current economic times, smart employees will be forward-thinking and anticipate gaining expertise for the future. Smart companies will consider software options that save money and training time for their teams. A better solution may be available for you on the NonStop system than the one your predecessors used.  Or perhaps you have a few questions for HPE or a Partner that will clear up some training you’ve been working on.

In a few short weeks, we have an opportunity to honor and celebrate those who have and continue to advance NonStop computer systems at the NonStop TBC in Monterey, California. We will meet and introduce the current generation to what we love about NonStop systems and its various application opportunities. We can share challenges and successes with others so that they can also learn and gain expertise for the future.  We will learn from others about applications that we can apply in our work environment, and there may even be an idea for a new entrepreneurial spirit!

I hope you will join me and other NonStop fans as we gather together September 23-26! See you soon!