Mannerisms

With a spirit of aggression often lacking in British industry, Pye Telecommunications are striding confidently ahead towards their goal of world leadership in the mobile communications field.

Talking to Dr John Westhead, a little over a year after his arrival as general manager of the company, it is clear that they are out to use every practical technological advancement and aggressive sales technique at their disposal to knock Motorola off the number one pedestal.

In a slightly snide tone, the story continues:

With a 70 to 80 per cent share of the UK market, a figure which Dr Westhead appears to regard as a general indication of Pye's dominance rather than a hard and fast fact, Pye are striving to maintain a steady growth of 12.5 per cent in the home market.

The story concludes:

Dr Westhead and his team have brought new life to the sagging Pye Telecomms of two years ago, and 1969 sees tails very high in Cambridge.

*Pye was founded in 1896 by William George Pye from the Cavendish Laboratories. W.G.Pye & Co Ltd developed thermionic valves which allowed it produce the first 'wireless sets', as radios were called, for the introduction of broadcasting by the BBC in 1922. Philips tried to buy Pye in 1966 but Trade Secretary Tony Benn, fearing the formation of a monopoly, only allowed Philips to buy 60 per cent of Pye subject to  undertaking to continue manufacturing TVs in the UK. Ten years later, in 1976, Philips bought the rest.

Distinguished Pye alumnus: Sir Robin Saxby, co-founder, former CEO and chairman of ARM.