Todd has posted a very weighty ‘letter to the industry‘. Todd founded Loren Data Corp in Marina Del Ray, CA, in the late 1980’s, or the “Netware” era. Todd lived and worked through several ‘grand epochs’ of software development; he delivered capital software systems during the aforementioned Novell Era, and continued with Microsoft’s NT and the associated Visual Studio IDE.
Todd has been self employed for his entire career – and at the helm of the company he founded for twenty-five years. Todd has acted as an anchor participant in the maturing stages of the EDI era, and still does today in his efforts to clean up routing and ID portability via directory services. Just as the Internet was being considered as a potential transport medium, he recounts, “many VANs of mid to late 1990’s had to be dragged into supporting IP-based protocol transport, and off of bi-sync, kicking and screaming, While Loren Data Corp was first into IP transit.” – The point is that I am not pumping Todd’s reputation, he does not need me for this. However, I am an acting industry advocate for Loren Data Corp., and I need to point out the significant advancements that LD brings and has brought to the market. I can’t do that without calling attention to it’s founder, President, Engineer, and CTO, Todd Gould. Todd is Loren Data Corp.
Todd and his Principal Staff see to it that the company does not offer ‘me-too’ services, or garden variety fare – almost every facet of the company is either extraordinary or at the very least, damned damned good.
And, this company, an independent, communications specialty provider, oriented with a laser focus towards the Professional implementors of EDI Communications……is fighting for its life against what can only be called, “the evil empire of EDI”. So, therefore Todd wrote the above referenced letter to the industry, and I have cross posted the link here.
In my opinion, as an outsider, yet also as a participant in Loren Data’s ‘go to market‘ affairs, I perceive what may be a sorry, sorry state of affairs – If Todd and Company continue to bear this burden upon solitary shoulders, then this crusade against an evil PE-funded, EDI conglomerate, will be for naught. And if not one kindred soul steps forward to voice their support….well, then I can only say that the EDI industry deserves a GXS hegemony; I can hear the obsequious yapping of an eager GXS court jester: :”Well, I for one, welcome our Gaithersburg overlords!”.
Whether your support is tangible in aiding Todd in his antitrust efforts against the beast, or if yours is only moral support – such would be considered nothing less than priceless.
Thankfully, due to Loren Data’s VP Netops Extraordinaire, Crystal Kuczynski’s consumate skill in internetwork relations, the company has never lost a byte of data, or dropped a single message; though pitted against a company holding more centralized routing power than any other VAN. Loren Data has performed outstandingly despite being at war, and the company is actually stronger (in some ways) than ever.
But if Loren Data is somehow removed from the arena – it will mean that the one independent, sole API provider, the comms platform specialists…….will be gone…and Darth Vader, his financiers, and the entire Death Star of Gaithersburg will be unfettered to consume their next victims – and the shred of momentum that kept the art of communications moving forward in the EDI sector, will, for a time, end.
That’s the irony of what is at stake here…a spirit of innovation that is totally absent within Loren Data’s torpid opponent – –
Yet such Innovations burns bright at Loren Data Corp – and is the company’s most basic and precious asset.
So, please, my colleagues, Support Loren Data Corp and Todd Gould in bringing equity back to the EDI Communications Business Sector.
