

September 12, 2012 represented a special day for a special group of people. As I watched the evening news on September 11th I was once again enamored (and perplexed) by the launch of a tech product. This time Apple set new records in product launches with its most current release of iPhone 5. On the 9:00 pm news I saw hundreds of seemingly sane individuals camping out at stores around the city waiting to purchase these soon-to-be-ubiquitous phones. I saw college students and young professionals sharing space. I saw men, women and too many pets forced to endure the evening. All types of individuals from all ends of the social spectrum were represented that evening. What gives with this launch?
Is September 12, 2012 going to go down as one of those monumental dates etched in the annals of history books? I know of some great launches in history that were quite worthy of such exposure. See if you remember some of these. How about the first automobile, created by a Frenchman by the name of Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1771. Though it was powered by steam, it would have been a launch worth staying up all night for. Similarly, how about the first steam engine train in 1804, carrying that first load over a stretch of 20 miles? Worth the 9:00 news? I think so. And, of course, we could not forget about the progenitors of air flight, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, could we? That day in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina I am sure was a day that would rival any version-release of an Apple iPhone. But what of infamous launches that might make the list? How about the maiden launch of the largest luxury liner of the day, Titanic, in 1912? A launch, like the “New Coke” launch, that the masses wish never occurred. More contemporary launches? Apollo 11 gave us one of the most famous tautologies of all time, “…One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind”, as the first humans touched the moon in 1969. Finally, who could forget the launch of the first supersonic passenger airliner, Concorde, in 1976? I remember as a teenager watching the news that night knowing history was being made. Was it worthy of staying up all night, camping out by the TV? I certainly believe so. But to secure a phone? One I could get the next week after the hype had died down? I certainly don’t believe so.
Disclaimer Notice before I get barraged by a host of Apple fanatics. Of course, I would not want to offend anyone; particularly those who love Apple products and spend more time on their phone than they do interacting with humans. To many sorts, bleeding-edge technology is their raison d’etre. After the 9:00 pm news and much head-scratching, I desperately sought for some deep level of understanding of these people and am presently comfortable with, “it is all about perspective.”
Since this is a blog, and you have been patient with my pontifications about the nocturnal practices of certain iPhone champions, allow me to segue way into a rather important launch in the life of Alpine Technology Corporation. I don’t expect you to stay up all night in anticipation of this launch. Neither do I expect that as history unfolds, the date October 5 will be as closely-defined with this launch as December 7, 1941 is associated with the bombing of Pearl Harbor! And, sadly enough, I don’t’ believe Alpine Technology will make the cover of Wall Street Journal for this momentous occasion.
All the same, it is still a launch worthy of a blog and some enthusiasm from those partners of Alpine who have waited patiently. What is this launch I am talking about? It is the launch of their new website,www.rams-pro.com. The new site brings clarity from chaos, light where there was darkness, and understanding where there was ignorance (a bit too dramatic?). No, it is not the launch of Apollo 11 or the preeminent phone release of September 12, but it will be a welcome source of information and resource for those professionals in the waste industry that need a software solution to run their hauling operation. Techie or Dispatcher…see the launch of Alpine Technology Corporation’s new website on October 5, 2012.