Chapter 82.2

Chapter 82.2

Sean flipped to the next slide.

[For our digitization plan, I propose using ‘email’ as a new communication tool. Essentially, we’d set up an email system with the company domain.]

[Email… I heard there was a free email website that came out a few days ago, right?]

André asked. He remembered reading in the Wall Street Journal about a website that had made headlines by offering free email accounts.

A look of surprise crossed Sean’s face. Unlike the older executives, André seemed to have no aversion to computers, the Internet, or new IT technologies, perhaps because he was young. After all, he was the one who’d scouted Sean, a former external tech consultant, and put him in charge of this new department.

[Yes. On July 4th, Hotmail launched, offering free email addresses. More services like it are expected to pop up in the future. Most people use their names for email addresses, but if someone else claims it first, no one else can use it. First come, first served. Should I make a Hotmail address for you, Vice President?]

Sean cautiously suggested to André, but he shook his head.

[I’ll do it myself.]

Sean nodded and moved to the final slide.

[That’s all for today’s report. Do you have any questions?]

[What program did you use for the presentation?]

André asked, pointing at the slides. Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Sean licked his dry lips and answered.

[PowerPoint, included in Windows 95. It’s part of the Office bundle, like Word and Excel.]

André nodded and gave instructions.

[Include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and email usage in the upcoming training program for all employees.]

[Yes, sir.]

[Leave the slides as they are and go.]

As soon as permission was granted, Sean bolted out of the vice president’s office. He was practically fleeing to avoid more overtime.

André watched him cynically and then turned his gaze to the slides.

‘It’s a feature included in Windows 95.’

He found PowerPoint on his computer, clicked through a few options, and nodded in satisfaction. Mastering software was essential for digitizing operations.

The old-timers who had been in the company since Grace’s time called such moves premature, but André disagreed. Adopting technology early was the key to staying ahead.

He flipped the slide forward.

The subject of “email” came up again.

Using the web browser Netscape Navigator, he accessed Hotmail. Free email accounts for everyone sounded like a scam.

But André shrugged. He thought that he had nothing to lose and created an email address with his name.

‘andre@h0tmail.com’

It was easier than expected. While at it, he made one for Miran too.

‘miran@h0tmail.com’

He logged into his account, typed Miran’s address, and wrote “Hi” in the subject line. After a moment’s thought, he typed a short message and hit send.

After logging out, he logged into Miran’s account and saw his email had arrived.

[Whew…]

André exhaled deeply and rubbed the back of his neck as he felt a chill run down his spine. The world was hurtling ahead at full speed, and it was only a matter of time before he would be left behind.

Last year, when he left Korea, he wondered what it would’ve been like if email had existed back then. Letters that took over three weeks to travel between Korea and New York would’ve arrived instantly.

But no email could replace the letters Miran wrote by hand.

André checked his wristwatch. It was 8:30 p.m.. He gathered up his papers and ejected the floppy disk containing the report before shutting down the computer.

It seemed like he had to spend this weekend diving in this intriguing report. Miran was away on a two-night, three-day trip to Washington, D.C.

He wasn’t thrilled about it, but it was included in her study-abroad agency, with a guide and no extra cost, so he couldn’t say no when she insisted.

‘If I analyze the report and catch up on the pending work, this damn weekend will pass by in no time.’

At that moment, his phone rang loudly. There was only one person who would call at this hour.

André answered with a smile, but his face quickly turned cold.