A month of major ICT events in Gauteng

The IPO filing by Google and the firing of Nortel`s CEO dominated the international IT scene last week; while at home it was the CS Holdings/Reunert situation.

We saw excellent interim figures from Trematon (income significantly up); a positive trading update from UCS Group; and a negative trading update from CS Holdings.

Other local news included the appointment of Mosibudi Mangena as the country`s first Minister of Science and Technology; and the setting up of a local office by Software AG, following the non-renewal of its distribution contract with Dimension Data.

New local distributorships included that of ARP-Guard security software by PhiBlue Technologies and Spreadsheet Professional by Miricle Solutions.

On the international scene we saw the merger of the handset division of Alcatel with TCL of China; and the plan by PCCW to write off its losses prior to paying a dividend.

The IPO filing by Google dominated the international IT scene last week

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

Additionally, look out for the possible sell-off of Lycos.com by its parent Terra Lycos, the US arm of Telefonica; and the sell-off of its stake in Rogers Wireless Comms by AT&T Wireless.

Other international news included:

The appointments of Leo Berlinghieri as President and COO of MKS Instruments, Andrew Brown as Chairman and CEO of Ramp, Gregory Butterfield as Chairman of Altiris, Joe Fantuzzi as CEO of Workshare, Miles Flint as President of Sony Ericsson, William Lyons as President and CEO of AXS-One, Williams Owen as CEO of Nortel Networks, Mark Pearman as CEO of Torex Retail, Peter Pomeroy as President of PPOL, Hector Ruiz as Chairman of AMD and Bill Watkins as CEO of Seagate Technology; the resignations of Lawrence Jacobson President of RealNetworks, Steve Luczo CEO of Seagate Technology (says on as chairman) and Herman Schwarz as President and CEO of Aegis Comms; the 'firing` of Frank Dunn CEO of Nortel Networks; and a job loss announcement from Gateway.

On the results front, we saw excellent* figures from ACS-Tech80, Andrew, Atheros Comms (back in the black), August Technologies (back in the black), Axcelis (back in the black), California Amplifier, CSP (back in the black), CyberOptics (back in the black), DiamondCluster International (back in the black), ESS Technology (back in the black), GSI Lumonics (back in the black), Helix Technology (back in the black), Icos Vision Systems, I D Systems (back in the black), InfoSpace (back in the black), inTEST (back in the black), M-Systems, Magma Design Automation, NovAtel, Photon Dynamics (back in the black), Silicon Labs, SINA.com, Telular, Third Wave (back in the black), Tom Online and ValueClick; and very good* numbers from Acer, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (back in the black), Advant-e, Akamai (back in the black), Altris, America Movil, AMIS Holdings, Baldwin Technology (back in the black), BEI Technologies (back in the black), Cedara Software (back in the black), Creative Technology, Document Sciences (back in the black), Electronic Arts, International Rectifier, InterVideo, Keithley Instruments (back in the black), ManTech, Maxim Integrated Products, MicroStrategy, MTC Technologies, Netegrity (back in the black), Newport (back in the black), Nextel Partners, Opnet Technologies, PAR Technology, Performance Technologies, Radyne ComStream (back in the black), Relm Wireless, Sapient (back in the black), SI International, Sitel, Sohu.com, Sonic Innovations (back in the black), STATS, Stratasys, SurfControl, Symantec, Taiwan Semiconductor, TechTeam Global, TTM Technologies (back in the black), Tumbleweed, United Microelectronics, UTStarcom, VSE, Wireless Facilities and Zebra Technologies.

Good figures* were recorded by Adaptec (back in the black), American Power Conversion, AMX, Anaren Microwave (back in the black), Anixter International, Avnet, AXS-One, Banta, Bell Microproducts (back in the black), CAM Commerce Solutions, Canon, Celular CRT Participacoes SA, Coherent, Consolidated Graphics (back in the black), Corillian (back in the black), Cox Comms (back in the black), Digitas, Entercom Comms, Fair Isaac, Foundry Networks, Harris, Instinet Group (back in the black), Ingram Micro, Inter-Tel, Intergraph, Komag, Kronos, Kyocera, L-3 Comms, LaBarge, LANDesk Software, LSI Logic (back in the black), Macromedia, Mapics (back in the black), MEMC Electronic Materials, Micros, National Instruments, Neoware, NSI Software, NVE, Paxar, Plantronics, Ptek Holdings, Rudolph Technologies, S&T Systems Integration & Technology Distribution, Sharp, Sitel, SMTEK International (back in the black), SPX, Symmetricom (back in the black), TCL International, Tecnomatix Technologies (back in the black), Transaction Systems Architects, Trimble, Universal Electronics, Unova (back in the black), Varian Semiconductor and Wanadoo; and satisfactory* ones by Agere Systems (back in the black), Alcatel (back in the black), Aspen Technology, Atlantic Tele-Network, Avaya (back in the black), Cadmus Comms, CBIZ, Chunghwa Telecom, Ciber, Comcast (back in the black), Concur Technologies (back in the black), Cray (back in the black), CT Comms, Dassault Systemes, Digimarc, DST Systems, FEI, France Telecom, Fujitsu (back in the black), Hytek Microsystems (back in the black), IDC, Keynote Systems, Nashua, NEC (back in the black), Network Associates, Perficient (back in the black), Pitney Bowes, QLogic, Segue Software (back in the black), Seiko Epson, Semitool (back in the black), Staktek Holdings (back in the black), SurfControl, TDS (back in the black), Technical Comms, Teledyne Technologies, TeliaSonera, Time Warner, US Cellular (back in the black) and Vodavi Technology.

Mediocre* returns came from Amkor, Applix, Business Objects, Cincinnati Bell, Cirrus Logic (but back in the black), ClickSoftware, CompuCom, CSG Systems International, Datastream Systems, EDB Business Partner ASA, Epiq Systems, Equant, Flextronics, Garmin, Getronics (but back in the black), HickoryTech, Hitachi, IDX Systems, IKON Office Systems, InfoNow, Input/Output, Key Tronic, MDSI Mobile Data Solutions, Mediware Information Systems, Merge Technologies, Merisel, Nam Tai Electronics, NetEase.com, Optelecom, OSI Systems, Pegasystems, Printronix, Quest Software, S1 (but back in the black), Siemens, Software AG (but back in the black), Sony, Spectrum Signal Processing, STET Hellas Telecomms, Tele Sudeste Celular Participacoes SA, Tyler Technologies, Verizon Comms and Winland Electronics; whilst very poor results* came from Analysts International, Butler International (but back in the black), Gartner (but back in the black), Gemplus (but back in the black), Insituform Technologies and Jaco Electronics (but back in the black).

Losses* came from 3D Systems, 724 Solutions, ActivCard, Actuate, AFC, Alaska Comms Systems, Alliance Fiber Optic Products, AltiGen, Anadigics, Ariba, Artisoft, Axeda Systems, Barra, Bede, BindView, BMC Software, Bottomline Technologies, Brightpoint, Captaris, Centillium Comms, Centra, ChipPAC, Ciprico, Computer Horizons, Conexant, Corio, Corvis, CoSine Comms, Critical Path, CyberGuard, Datakey, DDi, deltathree, Dialog Semiconductor, Digital Impact, Dot Hill Systems, Duraswitch, E.piphany, Eclipsys, ECTel, EDS, Endwave, Enterasys Networks, FalconStor Software, Firstwave, Fisher Comms, Forrester Research, Gateway, Genesis Microchip, GlowPoint, Grupo Iusacell, GSI Commerce, Hypercom, iBasis, Identix, InFocus, InfoVista, Insight Comms, Insignia Solutions, Insignia Systems, Intentia, InterNAP, Intershop Comms AG, Intrusion, ISCO International, Jacada, JDS Uniphase, Kemet, LanOptics, Level 3 Comms, Lightbridge, Logic Vision, LookSmart, Loudeye, MarketWatch.com, Matsushita Electric, MatrixOne, Maxcom Telecomms, Metalink, MetaSolv, Mobility Electronics, Mobius Management Systems, NCR, Nera ASA, NetManage, NetScout Systems, Nextera, NII Holdings, NUR Macroprinters, Occam Networks, Olicom, ON Semiconductor, On2 Technologies, Onyx Software, Openwave Systems, Optical Comms Products, Optimal Group, P-Com, Pac-West Telecom, PCTEL, Pegasus Solutions, Primus Knowledge Systems, Primus Telecomms Group, Provo International, Proxim, PSi Technologies, Qualstar, Raindance Comms, RealNetworks, Rediff.com, RF Micro Devices, Robotic Vision Systems, Safeguard Scientifics, SafeNet, Selectica, Skyworks, Stratex Networks, Stellent, SumTotal Systems, Superconductor Technologies, Tarantella, Tele Leste Celular Participacoes SA, Telecommunication Systems, TenFold, Time Warner Telecom, Terayon Comms Systems, Tower Semiconductor, Trikon Technologies, Tut Systems, UbiquiTel, Ultimate Software, US Lec, Veeco Instruments, Verilink, Verisity, Verso, Vignette, Vital Images, VocalTec Comms, Vsource, Vyyo, Wavecom SA, WaveRider Comms, WebMethods, XATA, Ziff Davis and Zoran.

Other financial news

Other financial news included analyst upgrades for Activision, Actuate, Advanced Fibre Comms, Alcatel, Blue Coat, Cognex, Corning, Foundry Networks, Kronos, Maxim Integrated Products, NCR and Sprint; analyst downgrades for Flextronics, Ingram Micro, Micron, Nortel Networks and Rambus Ultimate Software; private placement of shares by AirNet Comms and Unify; share buy-back announcements from ACS, Applied Innovation and Garmin; negative results/profit warnings (often veiled) from MCI and Three-Five Systems; a rights issue announcement from Critical Path; and an IPO filing from Google. Additionally, Computer Associates has re-stated its financial numbers for 2000 and 2001; Nortel Networks is to re-state its figures for the last three years; and Global Crossing is expected to re-state its 2003 numbers.

Locally

AST (+13.8%)
Comparex (-15.3%)
CS Holdings (-8.3%)
Cycad (-50%)
Datatec (-8%)
EOH (+12%)
Faritec (+8%)
FrontRange (+9.8%)
Sethold (+12%)
Y3K (+33.3%)

Internationally

Amkor (-42%)
enherent (+50%)
Foundry Networks(-31.1%)
Ingram Micro (-31.8%)
London Bridge Software (+52%)
Nortel Networks (-34.8%)
Primus Telecomms Group (-31.8%)
Read-Rite (-65.5%)
SEMX (+53.3%)
SRS Labs (-32.2%)

NASDAQ was down 6.3% and the JSE down 2.4% for the week.

This month sees two major ICT events in Gauteng. This week is Meta Group`s annual METAmorphosis conference at Caesars and in two weeks time is the first Futurex exhibition and conference, which is to be at the Sandton Convention Centre. The latter is the combination of the old Computer Faire and Tel.com.

* N.B.

'Guidelines` for the categorisation of results is as follows and is always in comparison with the equivalent period for the previous year; pro forma numbers are ignored (the terminology may vary slightly from country to country).

* Excellent: Both revenue and net income growth is in excess of 50%.
* Very Good: Both revenue and net income growth is in excess of 25%
* Good: Both revenue and net income growth is in excess of 10%.
* Satisfactory: Revenue is within 10% of previous year and net income is up.
* Mediocre: Either revenue and/or net income is down.
* Very poor: Net income is less than 1% of revenue.

* Loss: A loss has been recorded.