Newsgroups: comp.parallel From: "B. Mitchell Loebel" Subject: The PARALLEL Processing Connection - What Is It? Organization: NASA Ames Research Center Date: 9 May 1997 21:27:21 GMT Message-ID: <199705092018.PAA20280@dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com> Subject: The PARALLEL Processing Connection - What Is It? The PARALLEL Processing Connection is an entrepreneurial association; we mean to assist our members in spawning very successful new businesses involving parallel processing. Our meetings take place on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 PM at Sun Microsystems at 901 South San Antonio Road in Palo Alto, California. Southbound travelers exit 101 at San Antonio ; northbound attendees also exit at San Antonio and take the overpass to the other side of 101. There is a $12 visitor fee for non-members and members ($65 per year) are admitted free. Our phone number is (408) 732-9869 for a recorded message about upcoming meetings; recordings are available for those who can't attend - please inquire. Since the PPC was formed in late 1989 many people have sampled it, found it to be very valuable, and even understand what we're up to. Nonetheless, certain questions persist. Now, in our seventh year of operation, perhaps we can and should clarify some of the issues. For example: Q. What is PPC's raison d'etre? A. The PARALLEL Processing Connection is an entrepreneurial organization intent on facilitating the emergence of new businesses. PPC does not become an active member of any such new entities, ie: is not itself a profit center. Q. The issue of 'why' is perhaps the most perplexing. After all, a $65 annual membership fee is essentially free and how can anything be free in 1997? What's the payoff? For whom? A. That's actually the easiest question of all. Those of us who are active members hope to be a part of new companies that get spun off; the payoff is for all of us -- this is an easy win-win! Since nothing else exists to facilitate hands-on entrepreneurship, we decided to put it together ourselves. Q. How can PPC assist its members? A. PPC is a large technically credible organization. We have close to 100 paid members and a large group of less regular visitors; we mail to approximately 400 engineers and scientists (primarily in Silicon Valley). Major companies need to maintain visibility in the community and connection with it; that makes us an important conduit. PPC's strategy is to trade on that value by collaborating with important companies for the benefit of its members. Thus, as an organization, we have been able to obtain donated hardware, software, and training and we've put together a small development lab for hands-on use of members at our Sunnyvale office. Further, we've been able to negotiate discounts on seminars and hardware/software purchases by members. Most important, alliances such as we described give us an inside opportunity to JOINT VENTURE SITUATIONS. Q. As an attendee, what should I do to enhance my opportunities? A. Participate, participate, participate. Many important industry principals and capital people are in our audience looking for the 'movers'! For further information contact: B. Mitchell Loebel Executive Director The PARALLEL Processing Connection President MultiNode Microsystems, Inc. 408 732-9869