Sitka Appoints Deborah Triant as President
ALAMEDA, Calif. — April 24, 1991 — Sitka Corp. Wednesday announced the appointment of Deborah Triant as president.
Sitka manufactures MacTOPS, DosTOPS and SunTOPS — software and hardware to connect PC, Macintosh, Sun Workstation and pen-based computers together into a single network.
Also announced today are the company's development plans, which include new, low-cost, easy-to-use connectivity products for Windows 3.0, DOS 5.0 and pen-based computers.
Before Sitka, Triant headed her own Bay Area consulting firm, providing strategic planning and technology management services to technology companies.
Prior to that, Triant worked in the Corporate Strategy office of Xerox Corp., where she led the effort to transition the firm to a market-driven company and developed the company's corporate publishing strategy.
Triant also worked for MITRE Corp., where she helped plan and design networks for the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. She founded and managed MITRE's Artificial Intelligence Applications Group which developed knowledge-based systems for the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Earlier, Triant was assistant professor of mathematics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
''The rare mix of technology management and strategic marketing skills that Deb brings to this job are an exact fit with what Sitka needs as its leader,'' said Dave Hanna, who served as Sitka's interim president and now assumes the role of vice chairman of the board.
Prior to becoming president, Triant led Sitka's senior management through a hard-core evaluation of the company's product strategy. What emerged is a product development plan that builds upon the company's existing strengths — low cost, easy-to-use, cross-platform network services — and expands them into new markets.
Sitka's three-pronged strategy will drive product development at three new markets — Windows, DOS and pen-based computing — and ensure enhancements are delivered to the company's large installed base of SitkaTOPS users.
''The PC market is demanding more from its networking vendors, not less,'' said Triant. ''The need for low-cost, easy-to-use networks that support multiple platforms is creating one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. We intend to be a big player.''
Ground up development efforts that focus on Windows 3.0 and DOS 5.0 are currently under way. The final products will retain SitkaTOPS features and characteristics, but will be optimized for their own operating environments.
Easy to use, peer-to-peer level connectivity is an important requirement of the emerging pen-based computing market. Anticipating this, GO Corp., developers of the PenPoint operating system, licensed the SitkaTOPS networking technology and developed their own PenPoint TOPS client.
Sitka is building on top of the existing GO/TOPS technology and will deliver its first pen-based connectivity product in late 1991.
''There is clearly a pent-up demand for user-friendly computers that work the way we do and travel with us. Pen driven, notebook computers will deliver this,'' said Triant. ''We fully expect the market to reach over 1 million units by late 1993. Sitka is well positioned to become the preferred network supplier in this space.''
Sitka will continue to provide enhancements to its installed base of 650,000 users, and meet the ongoing demand for Macintosh to PC and Macintosh to Sun connectivity that is uniquely available in Sitka products.
A System 7.0 compatible version of MacTOPS is under development and expected to ship in August.
Sitka Corp., formerly TOPS, is a leading supplier of networking products for PC, Macintosh, Sun and pen-based computers.
Note to Editors: Sitka is a trademark of Sitka Corp. All other brand and title names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
CONTACT:
Sitka Corp., Alameda
Rebecca Fuller, 415/769-2580