Ron Gruner

Cofounder, Alliant Computer Systems

Founder, Shareholder.com

            In 1982, Alliant Computer Systems was founded and one of the cofounders was Ron Gruner. He founded it with Craig Mundie and Rich McAndrew. But after the company lost its way and Gruner left in 1991, he started a company and founded in 1992 Shareholder.com.

            Alliant was started with the idea that this technology, which they called parallel processing, would be a hit and a good business opportunity if commercialized because of it being entirely new. With Shareholder.com, it was started out of the notion of commercializing technology around shareholder communications.

            The particular problem Alliant was addressing was the slowness of computers in running programs. And this parallel processing technology they had was something entirely new. With Shareholders.com, the particular problem their startup was                             addressing was the high cost and long process cycle time of giving quarterly reports to interested shareholders and the proposed system of Gruner was something was something entirely new.

            People used the technology of Alliant because people are into high-performance but cheap computers. Clients of Shareholder.com used their services because they wanted faster way of showing quarterly reports to shareholders. Moreover, they were able to build a corporate website linked through shareholders.com.

            Shareholder.com’s impact in the history of the Internet is that it introduced another feature Internet could offer and that is through their web service.

            What’s unique about their startup was that it gave attention not only to major shareholders but also to middle tier and small tier who are commonly ignored in a shareholder communications area. And their startup was something that was never offered nor done before.

            The existing system was the telephone-based system of showing quarterly reports to shareholders. The proposed system was web-based system of showing quarterly reports wherein clients would link to shareholders.com and build their corporate website where interested shareholders would acquire shareholder information.

            I think the startup would have been possible in a Third World Country because there are also business-minded people in these areas which are not just business-minded but also technology-minded. And basically, this startup’s service would also have applications in Third World Countries.

10 THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW:

1. 1. After reading the case study, I learned that Ron Gruner first founded Alliant Computer Systems with his other cofounders before starting Shareholder.com. Before, I didn’t know about Ron Gruner.
2. After reading the case study, I learned that Alliant Computer Systems offers a parallel processing technology for high-performance computers. Before, I didn’t know about Alliant Computer Systems.
3. After reading the case study, I learned that Ron Gruner’s company offered a telephone based technology for shareholders that are toll-free. Before, I didn’t know about the offered service of the company.
4. After reading the case study, I learned that Gruner’s company was changed to a web-based company which is now shareholder.com after the development of the web. Before, I didn’t know that it also got web-based.
5. After reading the case study, I learned that shareholder.com got Campbell’s soup as one of its earliest clients where they first had a corporate website through them. Before, I didn’t know about shareholder.com’s clients.
6. After reading the case study, I learned that Kleiner Perkins was the premier venture capital firm at the time Alliant Computer Systems was started. Before, I didn’t know about the premier venture capital firm at the time.
7. After reading the case study, I learned that Gruner became the CEO of Alliant Computer Systems for 10 years. Before, I didn’t know that he became a CEO.
8. After reading the case study, I learned that the most serious competitor shareholder.com had was also a Boston-based company called CCBN. Before, I didn’t know anything about their competitors.
9. After reading the case study, I learned that Craig Mundie and Rich McAndrew were Gruner’s cofounders in Alliant Computer Systems. Before, I didn’t know about his cofounders.
10. After reading the case study, I learned that shareholder.com was acquired by NASDAQ in February 2006. Before, I didn’t know that the startup was acquired.