Author
Rick Aspan
Thirty-five years. For a teenager, a person of that age is almost ancient. For someone in their golden years, a 35-year-old is a young up-and-comer.
Whatever your perspective, 35 years covers a lot of ground. August 16 represented the 35th anniversary of CommScope’s founding by a young Frank Drendel and his close associates, including current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jearld Leonhardt. For CommScope and its people, 35 years has been exhilarating, challenging, successful, topsy-turvy, fun, tiring, memorable, and numerous other emotions and descriptions.
Sort of like the communications networking industry that CommScope has been a part of, eh?
You can witness 35 years boiled down to less than 10 minutes in this interesting look back at CommScope’s history here.
CommScope certainly has changed significantly over the past three and a half decades. The same sure is true of the technology world we’re part of.
What technology development over the past 35 years—since the founding of CommScope—has most surprised, delighted or impressed you?
Think back to the mid-1970s, when...
• We were 100 percent dependent on paper memos, postal mail and phone calls (but don’t stay on a long distance call too long as it’s expensive!!).
• We guys (at least some of us) wore platform shoes and shiny shirts (but no large phones attached to our huge white belts) for a big night out under the twirling disco ball.
• If you wanted to change one of the three main television channels, you got off your butt and walked to the set and did it.
• Shopping required actually going into a shop—and, most likely, using cash or personal check—or perusing a thick printed catalogue and phoning in your order.
There have been a zillion technology changes since.
What technology development of today would you consider most unimaginable back in the 1970s? What is the one you could least live without?
