EasyInfo has your number

The setting of the HP/Compaq voting date and the AMD/Alchemy Semiconductor acquisition dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

The next few weeks will see several technology stocks announcing results, and these will definitely contain a few surprises.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

At home, the EasyInfo furore and the Union Alliance Media (UAM) activities stole much of the local headline space.

Although there were no results published, we saw the suspension of the shares of Prada Technologies and UAM.

[Local]

Other local news included:

• the selection of Johan Roets of IQ Business Group as one of the World Economic Forum`s global leaders for tomorrow;
• the opening of a local office by InterSystems;
• the resignation of the UAM`s whole board; and
• the row over EasyInfo publishing unlisted subscriber telephone numbers and addresses on its new Web-site.

• we saw the announcement by Enterasys Networks of a delay to its spin-off of Aprisma;
• the news that 19 and 20 March has been set as the voting dates for the HP/Compaq merger;
• the transfer of the listing of Network Associates to the NYSE from Nasdaq;
• the announcement of a liquidation plan by Advanced Switching Comms;
• the withdrawal from the PC graphics market by STMicroelectronics; and
• the news of a reorganisation at Meta Group.

Additionally, look out for a supply chain management software company acquisition by PeopleSoft; and the new lawsuit against Microsoft currently being planned by Sun Microsystems, whereby it charges that Microsoft used its monopolistic powers to block competition from Sun`s Java software tools.

[International]

Other international news included:

• the appointments of David Banitt as CEO of Nano-Or, Roy Johnson as CEO of Redline Networks, Sean Keohane as CEO of SMC Networks, Michael Wendl as MD of EMEA for Optio Software, and Bill Yeack as CEO of Atesto Technologies;
• the resignation of Michael Tsifidaris, president of Intershop;
• the retirement of Pat Decker, president of Kronos; and
• job loss announcements from CacheFlow, Ciena, Gemplus, KPN Quest, Kulicke & Soffa, Meta Group, MnO2 and TDK.

We saw excellent figures from Trend Micro.

Good numbers were recorded by Altran Technologies, CANTV, Dassault Systemes, DRS Technologies, Dynamics Research, EDS, eResearch Technology, Firstwave Technologies (back in the black), ICT Group, Itron, London Bridge, MindArrow systems (back in the black), Nam Tai Electronics, OneSource Information Services, RCN and SurfControl (back in the black).

Satisfactory results were posted by Ansys, Check Technology, Covansys (back in the black), Franklin Electronic Publishers, M-Wave, Open Text, Prophet 21, Sanchez Computer Associates, Sierra Systems Group, SS&C, Trio-Tech International, and Witness Systems.

Mediocre returns came from ActionPoint, Ask Jeeves, BT Group, Cisco Systems, Cognizant Technology, CompuCom, Crayfish (but back in the black), Cryptologic, FlexiInternational Software, Gensym (but back in the black), Inrange Technologies, Madge Networks NV, Manhattan Associates, Maxim Integrated Products, OnTrack Data International, Orbotech, Performance Technologies, Qualstar, Radiant Systems, Rogers, Ross Systems, Segue Software, Singapore Telecomms, Sitel, Smith micro (but back in the black), Swisslog Holdings AG, Telia, Telmex, TMNG and Zebra Technologies.

Very poor results were posted by Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Baldwin Technology, Ciber, Datastream Systems (but back in the black), Perceptron, RiT Technologies and Siliconix.

Losses came from 3DO, Aether Systems, APA Optics, Applied Innovation, Applied Microsystems, Apropos Technology, Arris, Asante, AT&T Canada, AXT, Benchmark Electronics, Billserv, Bookham Technology, Boston Comms Group, Braun Consulting, Brooktrout, Caliper Technologies, Chordiant Software, Comcast, Corillian, Corvis, Creo Products, Critical Path, Cylink, Cymer, Digex, Embratel Participacoes SA, Emcore, Epic Data, Epicor, eSynch, FiberMark, First Virtual Comms, Fortel, Genuity, Getty Images, GlobalSpan Virata, Group Telecom, IDX Systems, Imagistics, Infonet, Internet America, Interphase, iPIX, Jacada, Jaco Electronics, JNI, Knowles Electronics, Lantronix, MCI Group, MDSI Mobile Data Solutions, Mercator Software, Microtune, MKS Instruments, Mpower, MSL, MTS, Net Guru, NetPerceptions, Network Commerce, New Focus, Nice Systems, Novatel Wireless, ON Semiconductor, ONI Systems, Pacific Internet, PCTEL, Pegasus Solutions, Philips Electronics, PracticeWorks, Predictive systems, Primus Knowledge Solutions, Provant, PSi Technologies, QSC, Razorfish, Reptron Electronics, Robotic Vision systems, Sagent, ScreamingMedia, SEEC, SINA.com, Sohu.com, Sonic Solutions, SONICblue, SourcingLink.net, Sprint PCS, Stonesoft, Syntellect, TDK, TeleComms Systems, Time Warner Telecom, TriQuint Semiconductor, TriZetto, Ultimate Software, United Microelectronics, Universal Access, Veeco Instruments, Vertel, Vicor, Vishay Intertechnology, Vixel, WatchGuard Technologies, WebEx, Williams Comms, WorldCom Group, Xplore Technologies, Zarlink Semiconductor and ZiLOG.

Other financial news included share buy-back announcements from Champion Comms Services, Cisco and Equifax; profit warnings from CacheFlow, Ciena, Cisco, Corning, ICM, Liberate, Metro One, Philips Electronics, RM, SBA Comms, TDK, Tektronix, TriQuint Semiconductor and WorldCom.

There was also a share split announcement from The Amanda Company (reverse); a good IPO from ManTech; and a withdrawn IPO from PayPal. Additionally, investigations into the Global Crossing bankruptcy scenario were initiated, again with auditors being a key focus.

Locally

Acuity (+60%)
Aqua Online (-32%)
C-Tech (+28.6%)
Casey (+100%)
Crux (+60%)
Explorer (-33.3%)
FrontRange (-30.9%)
Hicor (+33.3%)
Sethold (+16.7%)
Spescom (-19.2%)

Internationally

APMC (-33.9%)
Bell Canada (-43.7%)
CacheFlow (-35.5%)
Comdisco (+31.1%)
CTC Comms (-41.9%)
DIGX (-33.5%)
Enterasys Networks (-53.1%)
Global Crossing (29.3%)
NCD (-30.8%)
RSTN (-29.4%)
Williams Comms Group (-46.5%)

The next few weeks will see several technology stocks announcing results, and these will definitely contain a few surprises. One of the earliest comes from ERP.com this week.