This is probably the big question of the day after the recent acquisition of Frontier Computing by the CNIB. I will state here that not having many facts to go on and only the one that states that this acquisition has taken place; I am going to write this editorial whereby I have many questions instead of answers.
Frontier Computing was founded in 1986 and over the years I have done business with them, purchasing a variety of products but I have never had the need to purchase any of their training services. I also know that they have been struggling financially over the last few years but this being said this came both as a surprise as well as a bit of a disappointment to me.
Two different types of emotions at each end of the spectrum if I may say so. However, I am only trying to be as honest as I can.
Surprise? Because I did not think that the CNIB would want to buy such a company. So, did they buy Frontier Computing in order to save it from a financial demise? Or did they buy it as part of an effort to gain control over our consumer market?
Disappointed? Because I had hoped that somehow Frontier Computing could either have managed to save itself or maybe that a consumer based company would have been able to save it thus safeguarding the independence of our consumer market.
Big brother or big trouble? If we take the view that the CNIB acquired Frontier Computing in order to save a pillar of our community then the answer may be big brother. However if they purchased it in order to gain control of our consumer market, then the answer may probably be big trouble.
I guess that only time will provide us with some sort of conclusion. As for me, I cannot and will not provide a response as I do not have many hard facts to go on.
Just my two cents for today.