DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC: The Lasting Legacy of Digital Equipment

The 40-year story of the creation and demise of one of the pioneering companies of the computer age, explaining in detail how a particular culture can become so embedded that the organization is unable to adapt to changing circumstances even though it sees the need very clearly. The author consulted with the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) almost from the beginning and has had access to the company’s story as it unfolded over the course of four decades. He demonstrates how the evolution of technology, organization and culture intertwine into a complex system that may leave the organization unable to cope. He discusses the price of success and growth and the potential problems that organizational maturity creates.