Letter to a friend from Jean Devos
My dear Friend, Let’s pray.
My Dear Friend We are going to meet very soon at SubOptic 2007 in Baltimore. I look forward to this and let’s be frank; I am even excited seeing you again afternovel, all these Iabout published recently a modest whose title years. WeBay. are Itboth quite oldinguys in this Botany is the place Australia where is industry. We are so linked to it, so attached Alcatel established a to it, that the idea to notsubmarine attend thiscable eventfacjust never came to our minds. are tory in We 1989 as part of members of this family! its It iscontract an essential for the element of our own identity. Tasman 2 link. In this “Botany Bay”
same bay, where two
More than that, we are going tobefore attendthe centuries a ritual, a practice, a ceremony, service French aexpedition and even a sacrament. Yes, are in made that of “Lawe Pérouse” mood, in such disposition! twoSome ships,people La Boussole
might think we are crazy, that this is just about business practices, bottom lines, fierce competition, bloody battles, tricky ways, posturing, bravado etc.
and l’Astrolabe, landed in 1788 to discover that Captain Cook was already around bearing the They are wrong. British flag. So Botany Bay is now for me the symbol of a dream which becomes a reality! But let’s make no mistake. What really has been yet another countsTasman for us is2 faith not religion, not chapter in this We long Anglo-French dogma. have no problemcompetition! to see the The award to evolving, Alcatel came out aschanging, a big surprise language the rules the to many, including inside Alcatel. Everybody was subjects of the sermons being new, the style expecting thebeing Britishdifferent to win that ofnaturally the preaching friars as battle, and such expectation that the time long as we canan sense the faith,was theattrust, very logical. loyalty, the belief, the conviction. There were so many difficulties and misunderstanding Australia We hope to feel in between the atmosphere of and France, the main being thethat French presence this gathering theone conviction we are all in the Pacific area, the worse being the nuclear working for a better world; that we enjoy bomb experiment in Tahiti! The sad Rainbow
Warrior event was still in everyone’s memory. It is for these reasons among others that STC (UK) rejected the Alcatel‘s suggestion to come with a joint bid, to offer a “European” solution. One of the winning factors has been the Port-Botany cable factory. Such a factory was a strong requirement from OTC (now Telstra) and the Australian Government. Alcatel was the most motivated. Such a factory could expand its influence in the Pacific where the three other players were historically well established in this region, which represents a large part of their market. They saw this putting our capabilities at serving the real factory as a risk for their existing facilities! need of human beings, that we are proud SubOptic ‘87 in Versailles came at the right time. of doing what we do, the way we do, that is where the Australian teams discovered the theIt future will be brighter for everyone. French model, a close cooperation between We need to sense a taste, an appetite for Alcatel and FT, exactly what they wanted to escooperation. We need to feel the blowing tablish in their country. winds of adventure and enterprise. My friend, things are changed since, but one thing true:also When youhear offerand something, What westays expect is to the the reader see between the lines if you are meet realcan leaders of our community. not genuinely and sincere. Weorexpect them to motivated bring the food we needThen offer becomes really toyour invigorate, revitalize, and attractive rejuvenateand ourthis opensWe theneed routeback to “Botany Bay.” faith. the enthusiasm! youto soon. TheySee need be mystic and prophetic.
Jean Devos
Let’s pray, my brother! Amen! Submarcom Consulting
Jean Devos
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