Arivia.kom`s arrival takes the spotlight

The acquisition of Xircom by Intel and the flood of quarterly results dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

[VIDEO]At home, the launch of Arivia.kom and the disposal of Infracom by CCH stole much of the local headline space.

[Local]

Other local news included:

[International]

Watch out for:

• a possible tie-up between Deutsche Telekom and French wireless operator Bouygues Telecom SA;
• the acquisition by Dimension Data of a major US corporation;
• the successful bidder for Australia`s number two telecomms firm, Cable & Wireless Optus, where Deutsche Telekom, Hutchinson Whampoa, New Zealand Telecomms, Singapore Telecomms and Vodafone are all possible candidates;
• the fate of Yahoo, since there is a suggestion that it is to be acquired by Viacom;
• the future of Hughes Electronics, which seems to be close to a deal that would make it part of the Rupert Murdoch empire; and
• the possible floatation by British Telecom of Airtel, Spain`s second largest mobile operator.
• Additionally, DaimlerChrysler may buy out the voice recognition parts of Lernout & Haupsie.

Watch out for the acquisition by Dimension Data of a major US corporation.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

From previous Bites, Informix has now named its Business Solutions company as Ascential Software; and Bull`s sell-off of its smart card manufacturing division to Schumberger is going ahead.

Other international news included:

We saw excellent figures from Actuate, Altera, AMSL, Applied Micro Circuits, Catapult Comms, Check Point Software Technologies, Elantec Semiconductor, Emulex, Extreme Networks, Genesis Microchip, IDT, IXYS, Juniper Networks, KLA-Tencor, Linear Technology, Macromedia, Mercury Interactive, Micromuse (back in the black), Novellus Systems, Overland Data, Pericom Semiconductor, Plexus, Polycom, Sanmina, Scientific-Atlanta, Symmetricom (back in the black) and USinternetworking.

Losses were reported by Adaptec, Allaire, Analytical Surveys, Apple, Auspex, Avici Systems, Broadbase Software, Carrier Access, Clarent, Commerce One, Conexant, Critical Path, Efficient Networks, Entrust Technologies, ESPS, Fourth Shift, FutureOne, Handspring, i2 Technologies, iExalt, Infocrossing, Inktomi, Marimba, Natural Microsystems, Neoware Systems, NetIQ, Netopia, Nortel Networks, Numerical Technologies, Pervasive Software, Pinnacle Systems, Quantum - Hard Disk Drive Group, Redback Networks, Rediff.com, Sage, Scient, Selectica, SGI, SINA.com, SofTech, SoftNet Systems, Sonus Networks, Support.com, Teletouch Comms, Transmeta, Verilink, Vignette, Virage Logic, Visual Networks, VISX, Vyyo, Xceed, Xilinx, Xircom and Zoran.

Good numbers were recorded by Alliance Semiconductor, AMD, Andrew, Blue Wave Systems, Dallas Semiconductor, DMC Stratex Networks, Doceus, eBay, Extreme Logic, Flextronics International, Gentner Comms, Hughes Electronics, II-VI, inSilicon, Iona Technologies, Kent Electronics, Lattice Semiconductor, Mercury Computer Systems, Phoenix Technologies, Photon Dynamics, Plantronics, RSA Security, Samsung Electronics, SBS Technologies, Sun Microsystems, Sybase, Teradyne, Tetra Tech and Wipro.

Satisfactory ones by 3M, ADP, C-COR.net, Digi International, Exar, IBM, Intel, Iomega, Microsoft, Quantum - DLT & Storage Systems Group, SCT (back in the black), Sento and TyCom.

Mediocre returns came from Anite Group, BMC Software, CACI, Citrix Systems, Creative Technology, Eastman Kodak, Gartner Group, NetScout Systems, NetSolve, Network Equipment Technologies (but back in the black), Parametric Technology, RF Micro Devices, Sonera, Symantec, Sysco and Unisys.

Very poor results were posted by Cogeco Cable, Comshare, Hutchinson Technology (but back in the black), JDA Software, PanAmSat and Rogue Wave Software (but back in the black).

Other financial news included profit warnings from 3M, Accrue Software, ADC Telecoms, Analog Devices, Bull, CMGI, Consolidated Graphics, Credence Systems, Datalink, Diebold, Microsoft, Novadigm, Predictive Systems, S1, Telekom Austria and VA Linux; and a withdrawn IPO from PaeTec (broadband comms). Additionally, Letsbuyit.com has filed for bankruptcy in the Netherlands, and NorthPoint Comms has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Locally

Acuity (+92.3%)
Explorer (-25%)
Faritec (+50%)
Intervid (+31.4%)
Ixchange (-45.1%)
JemTech (+66.7%)
Mustek (+22.2%)
OAI (+35.4%)
Pinnacle (-30%)
Top-Tech (-43%)

Internationally

ActionPoint (+90.8%)
Anacomp (+247.4%)
Avanex (+52%)
Digital Lightwave (+61.3%)
Geoworks (+50%)
internet.com (+42.9%)
IQE (+47.1%)
Prodigy (+41.6%)
SCAI (+58.4%)
Serena Software (+66.8%)
Vignette (-46.5%)

Two other local companies were in the news last week. MTN won one of the three Nigerian cellphone licences, and iTouch, the Cape Town-based, but London-listed company, sealed a deal with the Asian arm of MIH to provide wireless data services to customers in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Greece.