Importance of Positioning and the Ultimate Breakup of DEC

DEC's Minicomputer

Digital Equipment Corporation was an American computer
company holding lots of early computing patents during the 1950s to 1990s. DEC  was leader in embedded systems and business minicomputers, dedicated big machines that control processes. DEC grow rapidly as there were few competitors during its years, but later on as personal multitasking computers emerged with  IBM, Apple, and Microsoft, DEC failed to identify itself in that market and lead to its doors closing. DEC entered the personal computers industry, repositioning itself from business minicomputer to pc, making three big mistakes thus become defunct. DEC tried to be too different, ignored frames of references, and was, simply, too late. DEC focused on points of differentiation too much when knowing difference is not enough to compete; it rejected to use IBM standards and thus had low compatibility. DEC’s systems were very powerful indeed, but failed to acknowledge on reference brand such as IBM’s systems which was not be as powerful but was way easier to use and more compatible. Lastly DEC was simply too late, with Big Blue (IBM) already setting up the market trend DEC had little place to innovate but to follow. Failed positioning lead to DEC’s grave consequences.