For a long time, Microsoft has been behind the scenes competing against all kinds of companies vying for digital dominance. One significant struggle that reflected this mediation was Napster. Since 1988, the company's shares, which were counted in thousands, began to be counted in hundreds of millions. Even now, it's intriguing how expansion demands another round of stock expansion to stabilize the company. Both Bill Gates and Paul Allen believe that 3D and 2D graphics produced by computers can provide special image quality. The best company to acquire for this purpose is Autodesk. However, the purchase seems conspicuously complicated because this company makes many private acquisitions that help complete its services.

Pixar Studios is an animation studio that particularly licenses first-class graphic quality. They acquired an animation software company, but its technical quality didn't even reach the level of animations from the 80s presented by Pixar in their commercials. Over time, only Pixar can be considered the best. However, three companies are dedicated to computer modeling, and all three have achieved significant milestones: Pixar, Autodesk, and ID Software.

These three companies can be called leaders in their market, and their willingness to share 3D animation is important. Softimage Inc., a 3D animation software company founded in 1994, developed animation and visual effects tools used in films, games, and multimedia productions. However, its tools are insufficient. The acquisition, valued at least at $67 million, has helped improve the graphics and important visuals for the MSN (Microsoft System Network) delivery company.

With the Pixar studio license purchased from Softimage for eight million dollars, they modified the idea of Bill Gates and Paul Allen to expand their animation software production services. They aim to block Netscape Navigator next year, by any means necessary.

-Yes, however, we desire to communicate with Mr. Carson. We don't want to undermine things, but it's my boss who wants to have a sharp discussion with your boss, - mentioned Dorothea Colman, an administrator and computer engineer, the second COO of Microsoft, below John Frontman.

-Yes, - replied to Rachel. - But the president is a very busy person. For now, he's out of the country, and his schedule will be full until November 15th. However, the CEO can communicate with you. -

-We'll wait until November 15th. My bosses expect confirmation if one of the partial owners of the company can attend on November 15th for a discussion, - said Dorothea, frankly tired of serving as the operations secretary.

-I'll bring everything to the president's attention at the next board meeting. I'll give a communication for that date. From Lux Animation, we appreciate the purchase of Pixar Studio service, -said Rachel.

They hung up.

Rachel was cheerful. She was overseeing the project with Randal McArthur and John Fletcher. They had a total of 17 confirmed sales, including companies like Microsoft, AOL, Next, Netscape, Opera Software, Mosaic Communications, Nokia, Motorola, Sony, Disney, Warner, Universal, and nine other licenses that were yet to be confirmed.

The product was a success. From France, Germany, England, Italy, Spain, and Japan, everyone wanted to acquire the licensing service.

The expansion of Pixar and Autodesk was a fact. The services for improving architectural design, engineering, sales, and its new structure that Billy desired with John Walker's fervor for Autodesk's growth. With Pixar Studios' new program, the company's valuation rose to $450 million.

The purchase of Pro/Engineer was a fact, an investment of $67 million to assist software similar to CAD, with more functional trends in computer-aided engineering projection. It had options that would revitalize the platform.

For Pixar, more computer engineers would be hired for animated software development. A second manager would be added to coordinate film production separately, and sketches of the third movie, "The Ice Age," would be presented with ten new animators, now awaiting hiring, a project led by Peter Docter, who now only has three animators behind him for character creation.

***************************************************

-I heard that our Pixar studio project has borne fruit, - said John Lasseter at the weekly meeting, which was impromptu.

-The announcement has been made. Peter Docter will oversee all the details of animation creation. We've already hired a team of ten to learn under Peter Docter's guidance and make progress. For now, they'll only be making short clips, 3 to 5 minutes long, to delve into the intricacies of technology, - said Randall McArthur.

Peter Docter nodded. It was the first project entrusted to him, and he was eager to create the movie "The Ice Age," which promised to be a comedic and spiritual relief for the animation company.

- Isn't that contrary to our idea? - said Alvy Ray, not entirely agreeing with the idea of providing the software that they had worked so hard to design, countless hours of work.

-We've earned enough to produce an extra animated film, even with a failure. It's just a pricing relief. Films are one of the riskiest activities I've seen. I almost feel like we're gold prospectors, or perhaps I'm running a risk-taking company with employees who engage in extreme sports daily, -said Randall McArthur, leaning forward in his chair, his imposing stature making his colleagues seem small.

- Then more funds will come in, - said Ed Camult.

-Yes, but we won't expand next. We'll focus on hardware. For some time now, you've mentioned that the team needs better computers. I understand they haven't been upgraded since 1992, in the days of Jobs, - said Randall.

-That's true, - said John Lasseter.

One of the points they've struggled with since Billy's era in 1991 is not reproaching the boy for receiving little profit. It's because of his films at Lux Animation that they can continue with their creative spirit.

-SGI has accepted our proposal, - said Ed Camult.

-Yes, we'll ally with SGI. They'll start working under our sponsorship and assistance. We'll try to produce a computer that allows for duplicating the graphic processing we have without other means present and doubling the working memory, - said Randall McArthur.

Silicon Graphics, Inc. would join in a venture that not only involved Pixar, but companies like Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation, MIPS, Groupe Bull, Siemens, NEC, NetPower, Microsoft, and Santa Cruz Operation would support the creation of an improvement in computing performance, introducing microprocessors, graphic tablets, and processors.

-So, let's hope the investment indeed helps the company, - said Ed Camult.

-Now, we only need to continue with the creation of our creative projects, which surely are the mainstay of the company, - said Randall McArthur.

The main people responsible for negotiating with technology companies were primarily Randall McArthur and John Walker, but now, with Billy's involvement looming, things would be reassessed differently.

The agenda was clear: software, and more software, creating better animation systems, and graphic enhancements in video games. However, the trick was that they needed equipment that could run their products.

That didn't bother Randall McArthur at all.

...