We all have dreams as children but as we grow up, our perceptions of life as well as our interests change.
This is what happened to Susan Chung who trained and worked as a nurse for several years but joined her husband, Alfred, when he opened a computer business.
According to an article by the Fiji Times on January 21, 1984, she became the manager of Alpha Computer Centre and her life then revolved around marketing and providing training to new computer operators.
“To learn about computers, their application, and programming you need to have interest, patience to work at it and determination,” she said.
Initially, it was an obligation for Susan to study the operation of the sophisticated machines.
But she said the more she learned, the more fascinating it became.
Alpha Computer Centre first opened at Vanua House in Suva in November 1982.
“It was difficult, as people did not know much about computers and those who did, found the price high because of the duty that was imposed on the machines,” the Malaysian-born Susan.
Susan attended Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide, Australia for a general nursing course under a scheme whereby she was looked after by an Australian volunteer family.
During her training in Adelaide, she met Alfred from Fiji who was on scholarship, doing his degree course in Electronic Engincering.
They married while in Australia. Susan said her husband completed his degree before her and he worked for an electronics firm. She visited her family in Malaysia with her husband before relocating to Fiji in 1976.
Alfred and his uncle established Alpha Electronic Industries and had obtained an agency for Commodore and Sirius computers in 1978.
Commodore was an American brand, and the headquarters controlling the South Pacific region was in Sydney.
Susan took over from Alfred’s uncle when he left for his father’s farm in Colo-i Suva in 1980.
“I was sent to Commodore HQ in Sydney on how to use the computer as a word processing machine.”
On her return, a major installation undertaken by Susan was at the Bureau of Statistics, then the Ministry of Finance.
She also worked with some schools that owned computers. She trained students in programming, and all the computers at USP were supplied by Alpha.
Slim and tiny Susan was an energetic businesswoman.
She managed the office, went to establishments installing the computers and trained the operators.
Some of her customers included South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment, Fiji National Provident Fund, Fiji International Telecommunications Ltd, and many others.
She said Fiji Industries Ltd had used Commodore to handle their accounts and in Nadi, Data Service Centres Ltd handled about 60 companies’ accounts on two computers.
Susan said that not all firms needed a computer. It depended on the size of the company.
“If it is a huge concern then computerise, otherwise stick to the calculator and go manual.”
The Fiji Computer Society launched its first computer journal at the Civic Centre that year.
Ten major computer companies exhibited their innovative equipment for two days.
Susan said it was encouraging to see that many parents brought along their children to the show as there were computers for children to play educational games.
“Our stand had both office and home computers and I found that home computers attracted most attention from the crowd.”
