In fact, this first show, officially dubbed "Advanced Computing Environments," consisted mainly of training and interoperability demonstrations. The idea was for companies building connectivity software and equipment to get together and "hook their stuff up," Lynch says. About 50 vendors participated, and some began referring to the event simply as "Interop." There were 5,000 attendees that first year. Lynch says his epiphany came when three propellerheads from Ford dragged a company executive over to show him how the private network created by Apollo, Cisco, Proteon, Sun, Wellfleet and others could benefit the automaker. "See, it works," they said, persuading the exec to sign a purchase order on the spot.
Back then, the industry needed to build itself as a community, so vendors could learn from one another and users could determine what they needed to buy, Lynch says. He hasn't been to a trade show in years now, he says, but he suspects there's still a need for community.
Lynch went on to create CyberCash, which went Chapter 11 in 2001 and auctioned off its North American payment services operation to VeriSign--but by then it had broken technology and regulatory barriers and paved the way for electronic commerce, waking the banking industry in the process.
Since 1995, Lynch has worked primarily as a private venture capitalist. He's considered investing in wireless technology because "it's fun," he says, but has resisted the temptation because he believes the wireless market will ultimately undergo consolidation, leaving just a handful of players standing. He's also been doing work for charities, such as Camp Venture Creek for kids, spending time with his children and grandchildren, working at his winery and investing in restaurants, "mainly so I can get reservations," he says.
Hayes
Ah, the modem. Nothing could beat the sweet sound of modulation, then connection. And Hayes was the lead singer.
In some sense, it still is. Hayes no longer exists as a corporate entity, but Hayes analog modems are still being sold, by Zoom Telephonics, a subsidiary of Zoom Technologies, which acquired the Hayes name and assets from the bankrupt vendor in 1999. The Hayes brand always did well in the United Kingdom, and it remains strong there; the Hayes Micro Secura and Optima lines are still volume products, according to the company, and Zoom Technologies has expanded into cable and DSL modems, as well as Bluetooth and digital cameras.
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