Cell C`s provisional victory hogs the headlines

The $5.2 billion offer by Schlumberger for the Sema Group and the disappointing/very poor results from such companies as Dell, France Telecom, Hewlett-Packard and Novell dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

[VIDEO]At home, the announcement on Friday that Cell C had provisionally won the third cellular licence has stolen most of the headline space since then, and is likely to dominate the technology news for the next few days/weeks.

[Local]

Other local news included:

• we are seeing the emergence of a major new IT/telecomms player, in the form of Schlumberger, which not only acquired the Sema Group and PCS Innovations last week, but recently took-over a chunk of Bull`s operations. I wonder what`s next?

Look out for the disposal by AT&T of its 15% stake in Japan Telecom; the merger of LinuxCare and TurboLinux; the buyer for PSINet`s network divisions; the possible merger of UK`s Knowledge Management Software and Orbital; the eventual fate of Unisys as rumours are again flying around, this time linked with IBM and Deutsche Telekom; and an acquisition this week by Sybase.

[International]

Other international news included:

• the appointments of Giorgio Anania as CEO of Bookham Technology, Rick Belluzzo as president and COO of Microsoft, Carla Cico as CEO of Brasil Telecom SA, John Ryan as president and CEO of Entrust Technologies, and Gary Sbona as president and CEO of Accelerated Networks;
• resignations of Pierre Besnainou, CEO of Liberty Surf, and Philip Crawford, CEO of InterX; and
• job loss announcements from Acer, Alltel, AMS, Evolve Software, Future Network, Internet Telecom SA, LinuxCare, Teligent, TurboLinux and Zefer.

Let`s hope the awarding of the new fixed-line licences doesn`t suffer from the same protracted delays.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

We saw excellent figures from Analog Devices, Arrow Electronics, Applied Materials, ASM International NV, BE Semiconductor Industries NV, Catalyst Semiconductor, Ciena, INRANGE Technologies, NeoMedia Technologies (back in the black), Nvidia, o2wireless Solutions, Sycamore Networks (back in the black), Trend Micro, United Microelectronics and Wireless Facilities.

Good numbers were recorded by Advanced Digital Information, Advanced Power Technology, Amtech Systems, Ansoft (back in the black), August Technology (back in the black), Daktronics, Data I/O (back in the black), Datum (back in the black), Eltek, Garmin, ICOS Vision Systems, Interlink Electronics, Itron (back in the black), LTX, Matav, Nam Tai Electronics, Nanometrics, Photronics, PurchasePro.com, Rimage, Serena Software, SK Telecom, SMTC (back in the black), Software Spectrum, Sonera, Telefonos de Mexico SA, Thomson Multimedia SA, Titan, Univision and Western Wireless (back in the black).

Satisfactory numbers came from Avant, Barrister (back in the black), Cablevision (back in the black), Check Technology (back in the black), Dell, DG Systems (back in the black), ePlus, France Telecom, Keane, Legend Computer, Optibase and Syntel.

Mediocre were posted by Altris Software (but back in the black), AMS, Amstrad, Credence Systems, Crystal Systems Solutions, Hadron (back in the black), Hauppauge Digital, Hewlett-Packard, Integral Systems, MDSI Mobile Data Solutions, NUR Macroprinters, NZ Telecom, Pacific Internet, realTech AG, Sema, SEMX, Stratus Services Group, Telenor, TietoEnator Oyj and Viacom.

Very poor results came from A Novo Broadband (but back in the black), ActionPoint (but back in the black), Comtrex, Datalink, Maxwell Technologies (back in the black - just), OPTi (back in the black - just), Pac-West Telecomm, Stewart Information Services, Stratasys and TII Industries.

Losses were reported by Accom, Accrue Software, ACD Systems, Acme Comms, AFP Imaging, Agile Software, AirNet Comms, Allegiance Telecom, Alternative resources, Anacomp, Analytical Surveys, Applied Imaging, Asia Global Crossing, Axcess, Axsys Technologies, Barak, BitWise Designs, Bookham Technology, Cadapult Graphics Systems, CenterSpan Comms, Choice One Comms, Clarus, Clear Channel Comms, Charter Comms, Commtouch, Compugen, Conductus, Conansys (was Complete Business Systems), CorVu, Crosswave Comms, Cysive, Datatrak International, deltathree, Digitec, Ditech Comms, DTS, e.spire Comms, ECI Telecom, Elcotel, eMachines, eShare Comms, Evans & Sutherland, ExperTelligence, Exult, Fi Systems Group, General DataComm Industries, Giga Information Group, Global Crossing, Global Sources, Golden Telecom, GoTo, GTC Telecom, Hypercom, Ibis Technology, iGate, IMSI, Interland, Internet Business Group, Internet Cable, IP AXESS, ITXC, iXL, j2 Global Comms, Leap Wireless International, Level 8 Systems, Loral Space & Comms, Loudeye Technologies, Macro 4, Magic Software Enterprises, Mail.com, marchFIRST, MCK Comms, Merkantildata ASA, Microcell Telecomms, Micrografx, Micros-To-Mainframes, Mobilcom, Mobility Electronics, Momentum Business Applications, Mpower Comms, Mytec Technologies, NBC Internet, NeoMagic, NEON Comms, NetSol International, NetStore, Network Access Solutions, Network Connection, Network Plus, Nextel Comms, Novell, Novo Networks, Office Depot, Online Resources, Open Market, Panavision, Pegasus Comms, Perceptronics, PixTech, Plaintree Systems, PPT Vision, Prophet 21, Rogers Comms, Rogers Wireless Comms, RSI Systems, S1, SAMSys Technologies, ScanSoft, Sequoia Software, Signal Technology, Silicon Valley Research, Sipex, Skillsgroup, SmartDisk, Snap2, Socket Comms, SoftQuad, Sonic Foundry, SSE Telecom, Superior TeleCom, SVI Holdings, SysComm International, Sykes Enterprises, Systemax, Tanning Technology, Telaxis Comms, Telemate.Net Software, Telus, Tiscali, TransAct Technologies, uniView Technologies, US Wireless, USinternetworking, Vari-L, Veramark, Viisage Technology, ViryaNet, Visual Data, VoiceStream Wireless, Wavecom, WebEx Comms, WorldGate Comms, WorldQuest Networks, XATA, Xenos and ZeroPlus.

Other financial news included profit warnings from Applied Materials, BE Semiconductor Industries NV, Corning, Emulex, Evolve Software, Hewlett-Packard, JDS Uniphase, NaviSite, Nextel Comms, Nortel Networks, Novell, Plantronics, Rainbow Technologies, Talk.com, Toshiba, Volt Information Sciences and Williams Comms.

There was also a share split announcement from Trend Micro, a satisfactory IPO from Riverstone Networks (Cabletron spin-off), a mediocre IPO from Orange, a postponed IPO from Propel (Motorola`s wireless services provider), and a withdrawn IPO from Telergy (telecomms).

Locally

Advtech (+36.4%)
Aquila (+31.9%)
Bryant (+33.3%)
CIH (+100%)
Cyberhost (+100%)
JemTech (+66.7%)
M-Web (+48.1%)
Pradatech (-42.3%)
Seartec (+40%)
Top-Tech (-46.7%)
UAM (-36.5%)
Vesta (-30%)

Internationally

Applied Microsystems (-29.4%)
Check Point Software (-30.3%)
Lightning Rod Software (+69.8%)
Network Computing Devices (+76%)
Nortel Networks (-34.4%)
Nvidia (+34.3%)
Plantronics (-32.6%)
Vega Group (-34.6%)
Volex Group (-30.1%)
World Access (-54%)

Although the third cellular licence has been provisionally awarded, the issues previously surrounding this controversy have still not been put to bed.

Nextcom is very unlikely to just accept the situation, and I suspect the fighting is going to continue for some time to come, although there may now be some resolution re the use of the 1800MHz bandwidth by MTN and Vodacom.

Let`s hope the awarding of the new fixed-line licences doesn`t suffer from the same protracted delays.