Beaker

On May 13th, 2025, our friend and companion (as well as NeXTnet’s mascot), Beaker, passed peacefully in his sleep after 23 years of supervising Vikram and Bill through multiple endeavors. This was a cold slap of reality because Beaker was more than just a bird to us; he was family.

There was rarely a meeting or conference call he did not attend, either perched on Bill’s shoulder or chiming in with his opinions. Or he could be found wandering the floor of Bill’s office or sleeping in his lap.

Beaker bought a joyful “over-the-shoulder management experience,” resolving technology and business disputes between Bill and Vikram across Alteon WebSystems, Data Center Technologies, Blade Network Technologies, and now NeXTnet.

Events like these make you value your family, both at home and at work. Beaker shall be sorely missed from our conference calls, as will his head nods and chirps, songs, and screams that put an end to many pointless arguments.