WE FIRST QUARTER 1982 Installation Today W People ABOVE-Shawn Sievert con s u l t s h i s b r a i l l e t e l e phone directory, left- Shawn puts through a call on the Dimension® 2000 PBX System at the Read ing Works. He prepared for the job before the job existed A beeping tone rather than a blink choices, so he acted on a hunch traveling by train — and came and ing light alerts Shawn Sievert, and took classes to learn to oper went by himself. He also attended switchboard operator at the Read ate the Dimension PBX system — some special classes at the Greater ing Works, to incoming calls. without knowing for sure if it Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind in Shawn, who is blind, operates the w o u l d i n d e e d b e i n s t a l l e d o r i f h e 1977. "Besides learning how to console of the Dimension® 2000 could get such a job. When he ap cook and clean, we were given mo PBX System on which an impaired- plied for the job at the Reading bility training. I learned there that v i s i o n f e a t u r e i s a s t a n d a r d o f f e r Works, Shawn had an edge because you have to speak up and ask ing. The Dimension PBX is manu he already had the skills for the questions," says Shawn. "No mat f a c t u r e d a t W e s t e r n ' s D e n v e r job. He started working there in ter where you go, there's always Works. February 1979. someone who will help." Reading's PBX console emits A day's work for Shawn may in T h e t r a n s i t i o n f r o m s c h o o l t o v a r i o u s t o n e s t o a n n o u n c e a c a l l . clude putting together four-, five-, work is only one of many that Shawn explains, "I can tell by the or six-way conference calls, placing Shawn has undertaken in the past type of beep whether a call is com long distance calls, transferring few years. He was recently married i n g f r o m s o m e o n e i n t h e p l a n t , calls, clearing call-forwarded num to a woman he met at school. They from the outside, or through COR bers, and verifying numbers if they m o v e d t o a n a r e a t h a t i s w i t h i n t h e NET — and answer accordingly." are busy to see if there is a prob range of public transportation so In 1978, just a year out of high lem on the line or if the phone is t h a t S h a w n c o u l d r i d e t h e b u s t o school, Shawn began looking for just off the hook. work. He is fiercely independent — a job. His father, Dave, a 23-year S h a w n a t t e n d e d a s c h o o l f o r t h e and optimistic about his future. veteran toolmaker at the Reading blind through high school. When "This job, my new home, and of Works brought home news that the he was younger his parents would course, my wife, are aspects of my Works might be installing a new d r i v e 1 2 0 m i l e s e a c h w e e k e n d t o ability to get along on my own. I Dimension PBX. Switchboard op bring Shawn home. But, as he got feel confident and capable — and erator was on Shawn's list of job older, Shawn acquired a taste for more sure of myself than ever." First Quarter 0 34th Year Page 2 page What's Happening In Government Sales? Why our defense business h a s d o u b l e d i n t w o y e a r s Branching off the Corridor Work in progress on the light- guide project in New Jersey 8 O n Y o u r M a r k She literally runs home from work every day Page 18 10 Saving Energy What you can save when you're willing to go all out 12 Defensive Driving A refresher course in staying alive on the highway 14 A P e r s o n a l V i s i o n A sampling of the work of spare-time WE painters 18 Installation Page 28 T h e c r i t i c a l fi n a l l i n k i n t h e service chain to the customer 24 Play Ball O u r D a l l a s t e a m m a k e s i t t o the Beep Ball World Series 28 Microwave Booster The growing impact of gallium arsenide transistors 30 Reunion at the Cape Some space-age pioneers remi nisce about the old days George Gray P e t e r L e w i s ON THE COVER: A painting created by- Editor Design Ed Acuna, a free-lance artist in Connecti Western Electric cut. It focuses on the new look in @ Saul Fingerman Leonard Stern installation, and the greater emphasis on M a n a g i n g E d i t o r P h o t o g r a p h y testing and electronic components. Our Elizabeth Perlman Thomas J. O'Donoghue story on the new look begins on page 18. is published for employees of A s s o c i a t e E d i t o r P r o d u c t i o n Western Electric. President: D.E.Procknow; Secretary: R.F.Ehinger; Copyright © 1982 by Western Electric Co., Inc. Treasurer: R.E. Ekeblad. All Rights Reserved. Editorial office: 222 Broadway, NY, NY 10038 P r i n t e d i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a . Telephone: (212) 669-2621 Title "WE" is a registered U.S. trademark. WHATS HAPPENING IN GOVERNMENT Defense business has doubled in two years Photos by Buddy Spoon For the past two years, Government making use of new Bell technology, Sales has been the fastest growing "Our objective is to build a busi such as bubble memories, very large part of Western Electric's business. ness base that doesn't rely on one scale integrated circuits, and light- Although the totals are still relative big project—the SAFEGUARD sort guide. ly small compared to our Bell busi of thing—but rather one that pro 3) "By aggressively selling WE ness, we are again moving up into the vides sales to government agencies communication systems to the mili big leagues of government contrac on a continuing basis—a business tary and civil agencies. We have tors. We now rank about number 25. that can grow and have longevity." always provided WE products on re In the DEW Line days and Nike The strategy is obviously working. quest, but that's different from ac Hercules era we were in the top five. Government sales in 1981 were up tively selling systems." To get some insight into why and about 30 percent over 1980. In 1980 The government communications- how, we talked with Warren Corgan, they were up 50 percent over 1979. related market is huge and with Vice President, Government and This means that in two years' time. the Reagan administration propos Commercial Sales, as well as many Western sales to the U.S. govern als for further defense spending other Government Sales people who ment just about doubled. it may get bigger. Currently the fig are headquartered at the Guilford "We're trying to increase business ure is about |23 billion. However, C e n t e r i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a . on three fronts," Corgan explained: every piece of that huge market is " O u r d i v i s i o n w a s f o r m e d i n 1) "By taking advantage of proj already spoken for, and you have to 1979," Corgan said, "for the purpose ects we worked on previously, such compete vigorously every inch of of revitalizing our government busi as SOSUS (Sound Surveillance Sys the way. Bell System policy enun ness. We're trying to do that by mak tem) for the Navy and Nike Hercules ciated by John deButts a few years ing use of technology developed on for the Army—to enhance those sys ago is that we "will positively and the Bell side and appliqueing it to tems using current technology. actively seek communications busi military projects. 2) "By getting into new areas. ness and other projects from the government—with the exception of we bid on.