SOFTWARE SURGE: Hardware used to be king...
SOFTWARE SURGE: Hardware used to be king in the computer industry, but these days machines are just platforms for the real heart of the business: software. That shift is reflected in the changing complexion of Orange County’s high-tech industry. . . . Software companies here now outnumber hardware 317 to 245, even though the two were about even three years ago, according to CorpTech, a Massachusetts research company.
BEYOND HACKING: Despite the county’s success, the center of the software universe is still Redmond, Wash., home of Microsoft Corp. UC Irvine Prof. Richard Selby spent the past 2 1/2 years conducting hundreds of interviews with Microsoft employees--including chairman Bill Gates--for a new book he co-authored, “Microsoft Secrets.” . . . One key to its success, says Selby: It has recruited legions of top-notch employees. . . . “You have to be more than just a hacker” to work for Microsoft, says Selby. “You have to be a hacker with a bang-for-the-buck sensibility.”
HOLIDAY RUSHING: The Christmas shopping season is crucial for software companies, especially video game producers. “We are expecting about 50% of our [annual] revenue to come this Christmas season,” says Rand Bleimeister, head of sales at Virgin Interactive in Irvine. . . . The company is scrambling to roll out 13 new games this month, including interactive Monopoly and a sequel to its top-selling “The 7th Guest” title. “Everybody is working 12 to 15 hours a day,” Bleimeister said. “It’s rush, rush, rush.”
STOCKING STUFFER: With software products such as “Christmas Ornament Workshop,” maybe we aren’t headed for a paperless society after all. The CD-ROM, published by La Palma-based Strategic Alliance Partners, shows children how to make 12 different Christmas ornaments by folding and coloring paper. Some of the ornaments are tricky, especially the reindeer. . . . But if you get too frustrated, just hang the CD on your tree. At $20, it’s a bit pricey for an ornament, but it’s round, shiny, and has a nice spot for a hook.
