American History 1988
Chapter 231 - 225 Time Magazine

Chapter 231: Chapter 225 Time Magazine

"Dean, just adjust your shoulder a bit more...good~"

Click, click, as the shutter was pressed, flashlights intermittently lit up the photography studio.

"That’s great, maybe we can bring in another chair?" Regis suggested to the photographer nearby, arms folded.

"I’ll arrange that right away." The staff member turned and left.

"How much longer are you going to torment me?" Dean, who had been posing for half an hour, couldn’t help but complain.

"We’re almost done, this is Time magazine, after all. I have to make sure we choose the most charismatic photo for you."

Regis had erupted with tremendous passion for the job; he had just flown in from the west coast last night.

As a renowned top public relations figure in Silicon Valley and one of the personal shareholders of Byte Company,

Regis had undoubtedly become the leader of Dean’s PR team, and their cooperation would continue until Byte Company successfully went public.

And this interview with Time Magazine was unexpected, so Regis’s itinerary was also arranged at the last minute.

He needed to ensure that Dean appeared in top form before the public media, and obviously, the cover of Time magazine was of the utmost importance.

After a few shots on the chair brought by the staff, Regis was finally satisfied and let Dean go.

In his own words, people would definitely think you are some Hollywood star.

Having finished the photoshoot scheduled by Time, Dean was then led to a room decorated like a café.

Around were a few staff members, and even cameras.

It looked like a television program he had once attended; evidently, this was specially arranged for the interview.

"Dean, how about it? Shall we get started?" Journalist James was already seated on the sofa.

"Of course, between being photographed and being interviewed, I’d much prefer the latter. That way, at least I can maintain the most comfortable posture."

"OK," James said with a smile, inviting Dean to sit down, then gestured offstage, and the interview began.

"It seems you’re not used to arrangements like these?"

"Yes, I rarely have such experiences, but I’m very excited about today’s schedule."

"Is it because of the name ’Time’?"

"Partly, and also because of the stage we’re at now. You know, we’re about to take the most crucial step."

"That’s exactly what everyone is interested in, so we...," James gestured with his hands, "shall we dive right into the subject now?"

"OK, I have no problem with that."

"As is customary, I should introduce myself first, so...I’m James Gaines, and I am delighted to meet you, Dean."

"I’m also very pleased to do this interview." Dean reached out for a handshake.

James: "There have been many reports about Byte Company recently, and I personally don’t want to ask some of the already asked questions.

But unfortunately, everyone is very interested in these topics, and we will try to make them more interesting."

Dean: "You can ask very direct, even pointed questions, and I’ll certainly answer honestly.

Our purpose today is to communicate, and many people still don’t understand Byte Company very well. I believe after this interview, we’ll be more familiar with each other."

James: "Actually, I’ve read reports about Byte Company before. What struck me most was its incredibly rapid growth.

If I remember correctly, your earnings report last quarter even approached 80 million US Dollars, and that’s a remarkable figure."

Dean: "Yes, I’m equally proud of our team; they are the best people in the world."

James: "Your revenue last year reached 157 million US Dollars, and this year’s first quarter you’ve already completed half of last year’s target.

For this year, what level do you think Byte Company can achieve? What’s the secret behind such rapid growth?"

Dean: "About the future, we’re not focused on growth in terms of numbers, but on how to provide good service to humanity.

We’re only concerned that the pace of technological progress isn’t fast enough to keep up with the growing needs of people.

The world of communication is gradually moving to the cloud, with small clouds opening up around the world, and in the future, it will connect into a very large cloud.

For us, it’s crucial to provide good service to the world.

So while we harvest considerable revenue, we also invest a lot of money into cutting-edge research. We hope to develop products that are better suited for the future."

James: "It’s a very interesting metaphor. What level do you think future communications will reach?"

Dean: "That’s a vast topic. As you know, the most well-known product of Byte Company now is the Teams software.

It helps people communicate in real-time through text and voice, but currently it may be limited by some hardware aspects, only being able to function in certain regions.

But I believe that in a few years, Teams will be able to transcend geographical limitations, helping people contact anyone they wish, anytime, anywhere."

James: "Spatial limitations? Anytime, anywhere?"

Dean: "Yes, for example, you’re currently in New York, and tomorrow I’ll be flying to London.

Then we can send messages to each other through Teams, make voice calls, or even hold video conferences."

James: "Wow, that sounds incredible. Teams could even transcend national boundaries."

Dean: "Believe me, this time won’t take more than ten years. It’s just a short time and hardly sufficient to be called the future.

In twenty years, we might even discard computers and use mobile devices to accomplish this action."

James: "Is your astonishing imagination the driving force behind Byte Company’s creative birth? I have never had such a concept."

Dean: "No, it’s not imagination, it’s a fact. Our technology will soon be able to support us in accomplishing this goal."

James: "An amazing prediction, then let’s talk about the issue Byte Company is currently under scrutiny for.

We all know it has been valued at several billion US Dollars, does this bring you additional pressure?"

Dean: "No, we pay more attention to our own mission."

James: "Some believe that the Teams software has security issues, that their calls might be intercepted, their messages might be leaked.

After all, you know, during transmission or storage, these pieces of information may face the risk of being maliciously used."

Dean: "People worry about security, which is understandable.

But Byte Company has never stopped researching security encryption, we invest a large budget every year, to develop various kinds of security models.

This is the most advanced encryption method at the current stage of technology, and the fact also proves that no user has ever encountered security issues.

Besides, regarding the storage of information, especially for corporate users, we do not get involved directly in data backup.

It is all kept on the corporations’ own servers, which makes our clients feel more at ease.

Of course, Byte Company also has commercial servers, we can provide more secure and comprehensive storage services.

What I want to say is whether you want to save the data yourself, or have Byte Company provide such services, we can protect them in the most proper way."

James: "Aside from security issues, many peers in the software industry accuse Byte Company of its sales model.

As you know, before you, there were hardly any companies selling software based on service duration."

Dean: "I’ve heard some of this, but I think criticizing these issues is a complete waste of time."

James: "A waste of time?"

Dean: "Yes, they fear change. They only see Byte Company’s success but overlook the effort we put behind it.

James, have you ever purchased software? They are all one-time purchases, right?"

James: "True, the software I bought is one-time purchase, I only need to pay once to use them permanently."

Dean: "But if the software releases a new version, you need to pay again, right?"

James: "Um... yes."

Dean: "That’s the problem, all updates of Teams software are free.

As long as the annual service is initiated, you can always enjoy the latest version of Teams services.

James, based on your experience, how often do the software you bought release a new version?"

James: "I’m not sure, possibly a year or even more."

Dean: "But do you know how often Teams updates its version? This timeframe is six to eight months.

Imagine if it were a one-time purchase, how many times would you need to buy Teams software? Twice a year? Three times in two years?

But with an annual subscription model, we only need to pay once from start to finish!

See, Byte Company saves a great deal of usage costs for users, all while ensuring they enjoy the newest features."

James was stunned, by Dean’s reasoning, Byte Company seemed like a highly ethical enterprise.

James: "From my personal view, this may indeed be the best choice."

Dean: "That’s the fact."

James: "Can you talk about that ’Vision Plan’? I’ve heard you’re about to begin its implementation soon, does this mean the birth of a new product?"

Dean: "This involves some of the company’s core secrets, I can’t disclose much.

But instead of describing it here with pale words, I hope everyone will pay close attention to Byte Company’s new product launch.

They will be revolutionary, everything mentioned in the Vision Plan, we will realize gradually."

James: "So there really is a new product about to be released? Just in time for Byte Company’s IPO?"

Dean: "It’s completely a coincidence, we didn’t arrange anything specifically.

Just as you just mentioned ’Vision Plan’, we move at our own pace."

James: "About this new product, can you reveal a bit more?"

Dean: "Around September or October, please pay attention to our new product Worktitle’s launch, it is going to be the best office software ever."

...

"You just performed splendidly, Dean! Would you consider ’Bloomberg Businessweek’ or ’The New Yorker’ at all?

I know some people over there, I can attempt to contact them." Reggie followed closely behind Dean, trying hard to sell his connections.

"No, wait a bit, Reggie, we have other work to do."

Such an interview was far from as relaxed as it seemed; Dean needed to invest more energy into other matters.

"Alright, but for the IPO, I suggest at least accepting another interview like this afterwards."

"I’ll consider it." Dean answered casually and strode ahead.

There, Morgan Stanley and his partners were waiting for him.