Since its foundation in April, DataServe has expanded from a group of four to a community of ten. Yet, throughout the process of development, we have maintained our focus on a common objective -- the customer. It's not just the money that counts -- DataServe has estsablished friendships over a wide range of schools from a wide range of areas among people who are interested in computers, something that would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff. 1990 was ayear in which DataServe achieved objectives we had never believed possible.

DataServe started off with two separate communities -- Delta Centuries and Howard-Wirth Development. Delta Centuries was a group of two dedicated young individuals, Joshua Reich and Joshuas Samuel. Howard-Wirth was a partnership of two again, Luke Howard and Tony Wirth. WHen these two groups met, we discussed a merger. As a safety measure, we created Delta Insoft Australia, which was Delta Centuries with Luke Howard included. Nevertheless, the merger succeeded and Delta Insoft Australia and Howard Wirth became DataServe Computer Software Development.

In August 1990, DataServe acquired a similar group of programmers called Diamond Software. Diamond was created by three aspiring computer wizards, Andrew Campbell, Simon Jenkins and Ben Halliwell. Diamond was fully integrated into DataServe, bringing another three staff members into DataServe. Meanwhile, Tony Wirth had brought three others into DataServe, his sister (and now the Ideas Manager) Karen Wirth, Peter Lee and Paul Fenwick.

Now DataServe has been established as a company, it is time to move on. Presently, DataServe has been a company who was little known to the public. This outline, coupled with numerous Future Planning Sessions we intend to hold, will help us reestablish that image and target the mainstream consumer. We are also looking for long-term projects with customres that we continually deal with, securing contracts for computer software development.

Unfortunately, not everyone is pulling their weight in DataServe. The quality of the reports (see below) and the presentation which will be made to the AGM will show how committed you are to DataServe.A major reorganisatino of our workforce is due, and the terminatino of the contracts of those who are not willing to participate as much as they can will be announced. The fact is that you only get out of DataServe what you put into it, and those who don't contribute will be, in due course, asked to relinquish their positions.

A financial statement below details our sales:
 
 

VCA Inventory	$4.95
ProductBASE	$20.00
Typing	$3.00
PrintShop letterheads	$5.00
Capital	$7.00
Total	$39.95

We have computerised our accoutns using, firstly Sybiz BookWorker, and now, Sybiz Multi Plus. This allows us to completely organize our accounts, using advanced Inventory and Sales Book ledgers.

By person, the people who have sold (in order of quantity) products are Luke Howard ($20.00), Tony Wirth ($8.00), Joshua Reich ($4.95).

The capital was donated by Tony and Karen Wirth.

The customers we have sold to have been extremely satisfied with their purchases, and we look forward to maintaining that record with future dealings with them. However, we shall not rest on our laurells. We must be continually committed to producing software. Obviously, because we spend such a large amount of our life at school, the degree to which one can participate is somewhat restricted, but we encourage the fullest involement (sic) possible.

There are two types of market we aim at:

    (a) the novices
    (b) the more experienced programmer

The novice is a person who perhaps has just bought a computer and knows very little about them. DataServe's custom applicatinos as well as our computer consulting service appeals to this type of person.

The more experienced programmer, not necessarily a power user, makes use of our wide range 'off-the-shelf' products as well as our custom applicatinos. We are able to offer this type of customer our extensive range of skills to aid their computer use.

Those who we have sold to so far are mainly in the former group, which illustrates that a major revision of our marketing policy would be necessary. According to the Head of the IBM Department, MR JOshua Reich, 'our products are excellent on the inside, yet the presentation is fairly poor, and most customers are inclined, with no previous knowledge of us, to judge us by the cover'.

As illustrated above, the point of having DataServe is pretty much useless unless customers are aware of DataServe. We need to product better packaging (sic), and we intend to hold a Future Planning Session on this later. Our members schema entitles to our Forums and Newsletters free of charge. Unfortunately, we have not had many members, and our Managing Director, Mr Tony Wirth, who is responsible in conjunction with Joshua Reich for PR/members, has done little to bring more.

We are currently in the process of investigating the possibility of setting up a bank account. This would enable us to have immediate access to finances, considering that the money is stored in different places for each department. A meeting between the CEO and MD has been held about this, with the result being that we cannot investigate it presently though it will be a matter for discussion in the future.

All meetings are to have minutes taken. A motino will be put forward relating to this before the end of the year and voted for at this AGM.

DataServe has a schema of committees that allow people who are not involved directly in one particular area to associate themselves and offer their services to other departments. The allocation has been revised through several committee reshuffles, however a final, fair and equal list has been prepared by Tony Wirth andd will be published in an appendice. I would like to set up a UNIX committee, which will include a series of tutorials on system management, KornShell, Bourne shell and Cshell programming, mailx, and parallel BASIC develolpment (with the SCHED data management progrma). Needless to say, a motion iwll be put forward (0.6) relating to this.

A system of motions was introduced which allows staff members to have their say in the running of the company. Motions are voted for by each staff member dedicating a portion of his/her share for the motion and a portion of his/her share against the motion. If the for vote equals 50% or it above 50%, the motion goes into a 2-day pending procedure upon which opposing motions may be submitted. If an opposing motion is submitted, it is reviewed by the appropriate commitee (see above), in an extended 8-day pending procedure. If the motion is not specific to a particular committee, an inter-departmental commitee is created for that purpose. Inter-departmental comimtee motions are subject to a 33-day pending procedure. Motions are number showing the committee number (0 for inter-departmental commitee) and the motion number separated by a period. For example, the twelfth motion submited relavent (sic) to the whole company (and therefore an inter-departmental committee) would be number 0.12.

We have started making a catalogue of all the documents produced for DataServe, so that any staff member may request a particular document from this catalogue for further informatino. This proposal is called DSAP, or DataServe Application for Publications. A DSAP Catalogue will be sent out as soon as it is finalised. The ratification from the appropriate staff members is required and this should be sorted out at the AGM.

With ten people spread out over such a wide area, there are bound to be communication problems. It is for this reason we are having out (sic) 1991 Annual General Meeting early, so that everybody can meet everyone else.

A survey has been sent out to everybody so that we can see how much everyone knows about the company. Many of them have already been posted, and a couple are even back. We will keep some answers confidential, but are publishing many of the results in the report.

Overall, there has been a fairly disappointing result with the survey. Of the few I have, most are aware of their positions and shares in the company. Some of  the results cannot be compared because of the different times that employees were taken on. The final results will be published in a forum next year, and officially announced at a Future Planning Session. Please try and hand them in at the AGM, or at the very latest, before the middle of December.

We are going to hold, throughout 1991, several Future Planning Sessions (FPSs) will be held. (sic) These are to clarify where DataServe is heading. The topics include:

• Software development in a mixed market
• The success of the electonics (sic) division
• Systems integration
• Committee revision
• New methods of voting
• Outline for the future
• 1992 Annual Report
• Programming Languages
• Packaging

I am aware that many people now program in a variety of languages, including Turbo Pascal and C. I think the general feeling is that we should try and move up (while not abolishing BASIC) to something slightly better such as C or Pascal. This will be discussed in our Programming Languages Future Planning Session.

• Turbo-Pascal
• QuickBASIC
• GW-BASIC and BASICA
• THink C
• QuickC
• HyperTalk
• Graphar
• Batch language
• KornShell (UNIX)
• Microsoft BASIC for the Macintosh

We do try an attack a broader market, and we are introducing games (with the assistance of Diamond) and word-processing products into our catalog. I tihnk it is time to slim down our pricelist a bit, which we will discuss. There are far too many products that are non-existent or partially created. It is better not to have them there at all rather than have them half-finished. A submission of all your products is expected to be included in your presentation.

While most would agree that software is our main focus, we also produce hardware products. The hardware can be used for controlling other sources besides the computer, though we mainly have computer related hardware products. These include a parallel port interface, a serial interface and a computer alarm. Joshua's presentation will have more on this.

My involvement in DataServe has been largely related to the business side, as well as producing computer software. I really enjoy being in DataServe, and like contributing. In my presentationn, I will show you the software I've created, such as FHeader and SECURE. If you would like a copy, give me a blank disk and I will give you the programs. I think DataServe is heading in the right directino -- after all, we must remember that we aren't business professionals but rather just kids, and we have done extremely well so far.

I think there need to be changes made to DataServe, but they probably aren't toally necessary. The biggest problem is that we don't meet regulary, and we have many communicatino breakdowns. I hope the aforementioned Future Planning Sessions will partially, if not fully, remedy this.

I hope DataServe will continue in the 1990's, especially as the gaps widen between us, and that DataServe can remain the glue for holding our friendships together! We've done well so far, and I think a fresh start might be good. Perhaps a name change? TO Intek, or Imaginix Development, for example. I'm just trying to make sure we don't get bored.

The other suggestion by Tony (I don't want to steal his thunder, but...) is to rotate the leadership around the members of DataServe. I think it is good to make everyone equal, though I am not sure if everybody is committed enough to be able to serve us as a leader. The fact is, you only get out of DataServe what you put in.

Recently, after the merger/takeover between Diamond Software and DataServe CSD, I have been up to my neck and nearly drowning trying to keep up to date and informed about what the heck is gonig (sic) on, but I have had a chance to catch up on some programming. GDS, [Graphics Development System, now renamed to Imaginix. Ed.] the system I use to design graphics, is in need of updating. Along with the help of Luke, I think we can get it done by some time late November. It will have many useful utilities to develop excellent graphics, which Ben Halliwell and Simon Jenkins (the game addicts) use to design the animation work in their games. It could, with a good mouse interface, help to create a very nice GUI [Graphical User Interface] for which people with 'computer phobia' can use as a simple menu systme. I am also hoping to start on a series of tutors called DOS-Works, BASIC-Works and perhaps even Pascla-Works. Could you inform me if you have heard these names used before -- I dislike repeating names. If you would like a half-finished copy of GDS, I would suggest that you get in touch with Luke. Overall, I have a few ideas up my sleeves, which DataServe could benefit from.

Note: As a result of Andrew's work, DataServe has won a contract to devleop DOS-Works for his father's company, a civil engineering group.

This report is on the previous weeks of my involvement with DataServe. Well, these last few weeks, other than searching for a suitable computer for my needs and the money to come up with it, I have been designing graphics for games I will hopefully get to. I have been also working on ways to actually put together most programs without a worry. At this moment in time I am working on a program with Simon Jenkins on a game called Tank Wars (hopefully.) We realise it will be hard but Simon and I are aware and willing to put in the time to produce a resonable (sic) game. I feel that there is more business in games for Simon and I at the moment, as I can only use QUickBASIC and I find it is not a powerful enough programming language to program anything like a utility. And besides, I think games appeal more to younger inexperienced computer users who 'live' for games. as I was fully in favour of the merger between PC-Soft/Diamond and DataServe and will put in as much as I can for the goodness of the company. As time goes by I am hoping to learn and use Turbo Pascal 5.5 or if Idon't thne after a while then I will not need to design graphics for my programs as much. So then my programs will come out quicker.

Our advertising campaign was off to a bad start in 1990, as we never completed sending out our advertisments for August to December. Perhaps we can use modifications of these next year. Nevertheless, I have reprinted the October newsletter below. Let me know what you think.

[addresses and phone numbers have been omitted for privacy; Luke Howard, May 2000]

Joshua Reich

15% share, Director
Head of IBM Department

Super PC AT clone
Apple //c computer
CASIO computer

Luke Howard

15% share, Director
Chief Executive Officer

TurboXT clone

Tony Wirth    Karen Wirth

15% share, Director    6.66% share, Secretary
Managing Director    Ideas Manager

Apple Macintosh Plus

Joshua Samuel

15% share, Director
Head of Apple Department

Apple ][ computer
IBM PCompatible

Paul Fenwick

6.66% share, Appointed head of department
Head of Computer Department

Commodore C64
IBM PCompatible

Peter Lee

6.66% share, Appointed head of department
Head of Development

IBM PCompatible

Andrew Campbell

6.66% share, Appointed head of department
Head of Diamond

IBM PCompatible

Simon Jenkins

6.66% share, Appointed head of department
Head of Sound

IBM PCompatible

Ben Halliwell

6.66% shared, Appointed head of department
Head of Graphics

IBM PCompatible

(advisors omitted)

(organisational structure omitted)

Thank you very much for the support DataServe has received from our parents and friends. We would not have got this far if it hadn't been for them.

All products mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. DataServe acknowledges this.

(Borland for Turbo Pascal, Apple for Macintosh and HyperTalk, IBM for DOS, SYmantec for ThinkC, Microsoft for QuickBASIC, QuickC, GW-BASIC anbd BASICA, AT&T for UNIX)

DataServe and Diamond are trademarks of DataServe Computer Software Development