The North American Information Technology Marketplace: Three Decades of IT Channel Evolution and the Continued Importance of Small IT Companies
with Alan Weinberger ’73, Entrepreneur and Founder and CEO, The ASCII Group, Inc.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Harvard Law School Campus
Alan Weinberger started out as a traditional law student. Soon after, he found himself on Wall Street with a major Wall Street law firm. He then took an academic route as the founding Professor at Vermont Law School (at the same time Bernie was just a carpenter). And, in the early 1980s, he saw that the revolution for the next hundred years was taking place right before our eyes. Mr. Weinberger had the simple idea to create a community (a digital nation) of like-minded professionals for mutual gain, marketplace leverage, and collaborative group learning. He also saw that the lynchpin, the smartest and most valuable element in this revolution, was local information technology (or "IT") experts. This talk will address the development of the information technology marketplace over the past three decades and the continued importance of small IT companies.
Berkman Center and the Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speakers Series are pleased to welcome Alan Weinberger ’73, Entrepreneur and Founder and CEO, The ASCII Group, Inc.
About Alan
Alan Weinberger founded The ASCII Group, Inc. (ASCII) in 1984 with 40 computer dealers. It was the first neutral, industry "Community Network" of independent computer resellers. He has successfully run the company for the nearly 30 years as its CEO and Chairman of the Board. The original model has now expanded with over 80 agreements that benefit solution providers throughout the United States and Canada - all tied together in a singular network. ASCII works cooperatively through its Advisory Board of Solution Providers to leverage its buying power and market power for the benefit of its independent solution providers, and to promote the independent solution provider as the best advisor for businesses to learn from and purchase IT products and services.
Mr. Weinberger is universally recognized by major manufacturers, solution providers and the national and trade press as a preeminent evangelist and spokesman for the IT industry in general, and for the channel of solution providers, specifically. He is known for impeccable integrity and fairness to all, with business acumen and leadership at the helm of one of the most influential neutral channel organizations worldwide.
Among the numerous honors Mr. Weinberger has received, key accolades include being named: One of the Top 25 Most Influential Executives in the Computer Industry by CRN; Executive of the Year by Cyber Channels e-Innovator Awards in 2000. Major newspapers including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the San Jose Mercury News have published lead editorials by Alan Weinberger on behalf of the industry. During the Microsoft Anti-Trust suit, Bill Gates wrote a lead op-ed in 1998 in the WSJ and Alan Weinberger was asked to write the only other op-ed, speaking for the IT industry. He has also played a key role on TV and in the press in the stockholder vote to approve HP's acquisition of Compaq.
Mr. Weinberger has a B.A and J.D. degree from NYU, and an LL.M. from Harvard University.
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