Here's what Drobo's chief executive, Tom Buiocchi, told me about the reliability of the latest Drobo systems: Some of the "original" Drobos did have issues (a small minority of the total shipments, mind you, but enough to create the perception).
"As radical as the forecast numbers may seem, bear in mind that even the 2.3m shipments that we forecast will be sold in 2018 are a small fraction of the total potential market of consumers, businesses and government organisations worldwide," said Pete Basiliere, research vice president at Gartner.
Twice a month, Ralph Petley stands at rapt attention in the fluid semicircle of about 80 bidders, his mind on the single goal of sending a shipment of antiques to Texas auction houses.
For additional peace of mind, $500 worth of insurance comes standard on every shipment with an additional $10,000 available from UPS.
With all this growth, keep one thing in mind: The online brokerage market has come of age in a bull market; PC shipments are slowing, according to International Data Corp.; and the industry knows that pricing is a hot button.
It takes a bit of effort, but if you pause for a minute you can call to mind the scene here a hundred years ago, when bearded Manchus came in to sample the latest shipment of Yunnan tobacco.
An example of what Washington now has in mind took place last December, when Spanish naval vessels, acting on an American intelligence tip, intercepted a North Korean missile shipment to Yemen.
But the shipment disappeared.
That UPS shipment to California?
