vstars Chapter 87 The Thoughts of Computer Manufacturers
Chapter 87 The Thoughts of Computer Manufacturers
IBM headquarters was shrouded in the composure characteristic of a long-established giant. After waiting for fifteen minutes, Ling Yun was led by his secretary into CEO Louis Gerstner's office.
Gerstner's office was spacious and simple, without any unnecessary decorations, and everything was in perfect order. He himself sat behind a huge mahogany desk, dressed in a dark suit and tie, with a serious expression and sharp eyes, like a general surveying a battlefield. Without exchanging pleasantries, he directly gestured for Ling Yun to sit down.
"Mr. Ling, my assistant has already given a brief report on your purpose." Gerstner's voice was calm and devoid of emotion. "IBM is undergoing a transformation. Our future lies in services, software, and especially servers and enterprise solutions. The personal computer business is no longer the core of our strategy."
He got straight to the point, drawing a clear line and blocking any possible suggestion from Ling Yun to pre-install the Starry Sky system on PCs.
Ling Yun was not surprised. He adjusted his posture and responded just as directly: "Mr. Gerstner, I understand IBM's strategic shift. My visit is not about the PC business. What I value is IBM's deep expertise in the server field, and the unique value that the Star System may bring to IBM servers."
"Oh?" Gerstner leaned forward slightly, seemingly intrigued. "Tell me about it."
"The core of the Starry Sky system is modularly designed and highly customizable," Ling Yun explained. "This means that we can remove unnecessary graphical interfaces, multimedia components, etc., like building blocks, according to different application scenarios, retaining an extremely streamlined, efficient, and secure core. This core can be perfectly adapted to various IBM server models, especially in fields such as finance and government where stability, security, and customization requirements are extremely high."
He observed Gerstner's reaction and continued to highlight the key point: "A deeply customized StarServer system, with all potentially redundant and risky modules eliminated, combined with IBM's powerful hardware, can provide enterprise customers with a more controllable and efficient option, different from Unix and Windows NT. This is a valuable addition to consolidating and expanding IBM's server market in critical industries."
Gerstner listened silently, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop. He saw the logic in it. IBM's servers required powerful operating systems, but currently relied primarily on its own AIX (a type of Unix), Linux, and… its competitor Microsoft's Windows NT. Having another fully controllable system option, deeply optimized for IBM hardware, would undoubtedly increase IBM's leverage and the flexibility of its customers. This aligned with his proposed "customer-centric" transformation strategy.
"Is it technically feasible?" Gerstner asked a crucial question.
"The Starry Sky system kernel itself is open source. IBM has a world-class team of software engineers. If needed, my team can provide full technical support to assist IBM in porting and optimizing the system for your server hardware. We can form a joint technical team," Ling Yun proposed.
Gerstner pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Okay. IBM will launch an evaluation project to study the feasibility of porting the StarCraft system kernel to our RS/6000 series servers. I'll have the head of Systems and Technology contact you."
There were no enthusiastic embraces, no impassioned declarations, only a calm assessment based on commercial value and pragmatic implementation. But for Lingyun, that was enough. Being able to spread the seeds of the Star System to IBM's server field was itself a strategic breakthrough.
After leaving IBM, Ling Yun contacted Compaq CEO Eckhard Febvre, HP CEO Lou Pratt, and Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell in his hotel room. Unlike face-to-face meetings, the phone conversations were more concise and direct.
With Compaq's Febvre:
"Mr. Ling, I've heard you've been quite active lately." Fairfax's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible amusement. "You rejected Bill, and then you met with Jerry and that hot-tempered Scott."
"Mr. Febvre, Compaq must also hope to have more room for negotiation regarding Microsoft's OEM licensing terms," Ling Yun said bluntly.
"Of course, nobody likes having only one option," Febrezee replied slyly. "However, Compaq's current partnership with Microsoft is very... close. Pre-installing a completely new system would be too risky for us."
"There's no need for immediate pre-installation. Perhaps Compaq could fund an internal research project to evaluate the compatibility and performance of the Starry Sky system on specific PC models? This would at least show Microsoft that Compaq is also exploring other possibilities," Lingyun suggested.
Febrez chuckled on the other end of the phone: "An internal evaluation project? Hmm, the cost is acceptable. Okay, I'll have the technical department follow up. Mr. Ling, good luck, you certainly... have commendable courage."
With HP's Platt:
Pratt's voice was more moderate and cautious: "Mr. Ling, HP has always supported technological innovation and the healthy development of the industry. A diverse operating system ecosystem is beneficial to the entire industry."
"HP's leading position in the industry, if it can pay some attention to emerging systems, will be an important force in combating monopolies and promoting competition," Lingyun tried to elevate the message.
"Hehe, well said." Platt's laughter was very official. "HP can open up some of the hardware driver interface specifications to the Starry Sky system under the guise of 'technical cooperation' to facilitate your adaptation. Of course, this is limited to the level of technical exchange."
"That's very helpful, thank you Mr. Platt." Ling Yun knew that this was the maximum "support" a company of HP's size could offer in the face of uncertainty—a low-risk, high-return wait-and-see approach.
With Michael Dell of Dell:
Michael Dell, the youngest and most pragmatic, said: "Lingyun, I've seen the demo of your system; it boots up very quickly. This is good for cost control."
"The essence of the Dell model lies in efficiency and cost-effectiveness. If there is a system that can further help reduce licensing costs, or even just serve as a bargaining chip..." Lingyun pointed out Dell's core strength.
"I understand what you mean," Michael Dell interrupted him, speaking quickly. "Dell won't be pre-installing Stardust OS at the moment. However, I can grant you licenses to use some of Dell's generic drivers on the 'Stardust OS Certified PCs' you sell on the open market. Also, Dell's website can provide a 'Optional Operating System' information page, although it might not get much traffic."
This is almost a risk-free business, but for Lingyun, being able to obtain driver compatibility support from Dell and appear on its official website (even if it's just in a corner) is a huge endorsement.
"A very fair deal, Mr. Dell."
In a single day, from the East Coast to the West Coast, from a composed giant to a flexible king of direct selling, Lingyun completed a round of intensive shuttle diplomacy.
The result was obvious: no hardware manufacturer was willing to immediately stand up and clearly side with StarCraft to confront Microsoft head-on.
They were all happy to see a "stubborn" challenger like Ling Yun poking at Bill's lungs. Whether he succeeded or not, he could distract Microsoft and give them an overt or covert bargaining chip in the next OEM licensing negotiations with Microsoft.
The support they provide is carefully calculated—technical assessments, driver interfaces, links in the corner of the website—it doesn't require much substantial cost, but could yield substantial strategic returns.
Ling Yun put down the phone and rubbed his temples. He wasn't disappointed; this was expected. The formation of an anti-Microsoft alliance couldn't be achieved overnight. AMD and Sun were at the forefront, driven by their own urgent need for survival and development. Meanwhile, IBM, Compaq, HP, and Dell were the flanks that needed to be patiently maneuvered and exploited through their internal conflicts with Microsoft.
Now, the forwards are in position, and the wingers are showing interest in observing. The next step is to turn this observation into more substantial intervention.
He knew that Bill Gates' one-week deadline was fast approaching. He had to make this loose "alliance" appear threatening enough within this limited time to buy himself and the stars more time and space to survive.