Letter to a friend from Jean Devos
My dear friend, The sun is rising from the East. Fiona is the new chairwoman of the SubOptic executive committee and the host of the 2010 event will be NEC and Fujitsu. We are all set for a new “Botany Bay” venture and we expect a lot from them.
My Dear Friend
I published recently a modest novel, whose title It seems to Itmeis that the existing format of Bay. the place in Australia where is Botany the SubOptic event has now shown its limitsa Alcatel established and it is time to reinvent the concept and come submarine cable facup with something completely different. A bitof tory in 1989 as part like a wedding ceremony its which too often so contract foris the formalized, so normalized, so “formatised” Tasman 2 link. In this that you know in advance what going two to same bay,iswhere happen. I enjoy when a party is designed “out centuries before the of the box,” taking you by surprise, bringing French expedition you “somewhere” you “La hadn’t thought Pérouse” madeof. of Like many other attendees inships, Baltimore, you two La Boussole
escaped from most of the sessions to attend business meetings. You told me that the conference was a good one due to the people you managed to meet over there. But you also and l’Astrolabe, landed in 1788 to discover that mentioned that your customers were basically Captain Cook was already around bearing the absent and too few people from Asia, Middle British flag. So Botany Bay is now for me the East and Africa. You also stressed that you symbol of a dream which becomes a reality! have not really learned anything!
Tasman 2 has been yet another chapter in this long Anglo-French competition! The My suggestion for the future is to abandon award to Alcatel came out as a big surprise to the format of a “conference” and adopt the many, including inside Alcatel. Everybody was one of a “convention.” Instead of waiting for naturally expecting the British to win that batindividuals to present papers, the program tle, and such an expectation was at that time committee would decide of the Convention very logical. main topics. Example of possible topics: Africa There were so many and situation; Trans-Pacific status;difficulties Atlantic status; misunderstanding between and India; Marine maintenance; OilAustralia & Gas; UR France, the one being the French market; Themain Cable industry etc… Forpresence each in the Pacific area, the worse being the nuclear of these topics a working group would be bomb experiment in Tahiti! Rainbow established a year before the The eventsadwith the
Warrior event was still3 in everyone’s task to prepare a 2 to hours sessionmemory. on this It is forduring these reasons among others STC (UK) topic the convention. Theirthat objective rejected to come with a should bethetoAlcatel‘s work suggestion out a comprehensive joint bid, to offer a “European” picture of their subject and they solution. should use One of the winning factors has been the different technique: Slides; Film; Witnesses; Port-Botany cable factory.debates; Such a factory was a Round table; Interviews; flyers etc. strong not requirement froma OTC (now Telstra) and I would have missed session describing Australian Government. inthe details the today situation in India, or in Alcatelespecially was the most East Africa, if themotivated. situation Such was a factory could expand its influence the Pacific described by independent people: inWho are the three other were historically thewhere players? Status of players the existing cables? well established in thisare region, which represents Planned cables? What the issues? Etc …
a large part of their market. They saw this factory a risk for the theirattendance existing facilities! And toas stimulate these SubOptic ‘87 be in Versailles came at the rightthe time. session should plenary sessions, leaving It is where Australian teams discovered afternoon forthe separate meetings. Attendancethe a close cooperation toFrench plenarymodel, morning sessions should be between made Alcatelcompulsory! and FT, exactly what they wanted to esmorally tablish in their country. Another idea: things Why are notchanged a “SubOptic My friend, since, but association Awards”, the “Oscars” of the one thing stays true: When you offer something, Submarine industry, open all players the readercable can see between thetolines if you are who provide compelling product services. or not genuinely motivated andorsincere. Then your offer becomes really attractive and this But let’s keep to this between you and me opens the route “Botany Bay.”
for the moment. I am sure that Fiona, at a certain See stage will look for advice. So we will you soon. be prepared.
Jean Devos
I hope to hear from you in the meantime. Submarcom Consulting
Jean Devos
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