Interim results catch headlines

The local and international world of ICT was again quiet last week, with no significant news/events. Internationally there were some further acquisitions by EMC and Oracle, while locally Datatec and its interim results took much of the local ICT media space.

* Good interim figures from Datatec with revenue up 16% and profit up over 50%.
* A full-year loss from Bryant Technology.
* A positive trading update from Reunert.
* A negative trading update from Zaptronix.
* Pinnacle Technology acquired a majority shareholding in Datanet Infrastructure Group.
* Control Instruments bought out UK-based Pi Technology, a business in the automotive original equipment market.
* CET and Dynamic Cables undertake a re-shuffle of various interests, which leaves the latter as a gaming investment company only.
* SITA plans to set up an ICT academy within 18 months.
* Ian Cook appointed as CEO of Logicalis, part of the Datatec group.

Uganda opened its telecommunications infrastructure to full competition.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Uganda opened up its telecommunications infrastructure to full competition.
* A consortium led by Dubai-based VTEL was awarded Kenya's SNO licence.
* Computech becomes a preferred partner of, and will represent, Prism and VeriFone in Kenya and Tanzania.
* Vodafone Egypt bought 51% of Raya Telecom for $18 million.

* Toshiba is to spin-off its semiconductor wafer business via a MBO backed by private equity groups.
* EMC acquired Avamar Technologies, a provider of enterprise-class data protection software.
* Oracle bought Stellent for $440 million, the latter being a content management software developer, and SPL, a provider of revenue and operations management software.
* The appointments of Johann Dreyer as president and CEO of S1, Jim MacIntyre as CEO of WebSideStory, Martin McClanan as interim CEO of Harvey Electronics, Scott McClendon as interim president and CEO of Overland Storage, Barney Quinn as CEO of Workplace Systems, and Vincent Rossi as CEO of St Bernard Software.
* The resignation of Franklin Karp, president and CEO of Harvey Electronics.
* The retirements of David Gutridge, CEO of MTC Technologies, and John Jones, CEO of St Bernard Software.
* Analyst upgrades for Analex, APC, Aspen Technology, AXT, Charter Communications, Concurrent Computer, Dell, DreamWorks Animation, Electronic Arts, Faro Technologies, Harris, Intermec, International Rectifier, Intersil, JDS Uniphase, KLA-Tencor, Komag, Microsemi, NCI, Nuance Communications, Otelco, Plexus, Sina, Tekelec, Verifone Holdings, Western Digital and Yahoo.
* Analyst downgrades for 24/7 Real Media, Accenture, ACS, Acxiom, ARM Holdings, Borland Software, Cablevision Systems, Carrier Access, CNET Networks, Harte-Hanks, Intel, Kulicke & Soffa, Monolithic Power Systems, MTC Technologies, Neoware, Nice Systems, Novellus Systems, Patni Computer Systems, Plantronics, Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Red Hat, Secure Computing, Semiconductor Manufacturing International, Tech Data, Total Systems Services, UTStarcom, Valassis Communications and Verizon Communications.
* Positive results announcements from Nuance Communications and Toshiba.
* Negative result warnings from C&D technologies, Dot Hill Systems, IGM Mobile, Pioneer and Retailix.
* Stock repurchase announcements from Citrix Systems and Red Hat.
* A job loss announcement from Magic Software.
* Private funding obtained for Ekahau, a WiFi-based solutions provider; Extricom, an enterprise WiFi developer; Layer 7 Technologies, a developer of XML security and networking appliances; Monitor110, an Internet monitoring service provider; Narus, a carrier network monitoring service provider; Phinder Technologies, a provider of networking and telecommunications solutions; TalkPlus, a provider of Voice 2.0 services over mobile networks.
* A private placing of stock by Harvey Electronics, I-Many, Quantum Technologies and Tower Semiconductor.
* Stock offering announcements by Occam Networks and Vital Images.
* Share split announcements from Harvey Electronics (Reverse 1:4) and Rogers Communications (2:1).
* Planned IPOs on Nasdaq from Allot Communications, a WAN optimisation and application acceleration vendor; Globalstar, a provider of mobile voice and data communications services; Opnext, an optical module and component maker; and Super Micro, a high performance server maker.
* A good IPO on Nasdaq by RRSat Global Communications Network, an Israeli satellite company.
* A satisfactory IPO from Globalstar, a satellite service provider.
* A very poor IPO from Orbcomm, a satellite-based wireless tracking company.

* Sistema, the Russian conglomerate taking a significant stake in Deutsche Telekom in exchange for control of its telephone unit.
* The founder of PeopleSoft launching Workday, an on-demand ERP organisation.

* JSE All share index: Up 2.3% (highest-ever weekend close).
* Nasdaq: Down 0.8%.
* Top SA share movements: Beget Holdings (-25%), Dynamic Cables (+27.3%), MTN (+9.3%), Simeka BSG (+9.6%), Synergy (-8.3%) and Zaptronix (-30%).
* Top international share movements: Bell Canada (+20.5%), ClickSoftware Technologies (+19%), Entrada Networks (-33.3%), Exabyte (-21.6%), Forgent Networks (-20.4%), Onstream Media (+30%), PortalPlayer (+20.6%), SONICblue (+50%) and WJ Communications (-20.8%).

Mabili has released its 2006 Directors' Remuneration Report; from an ICT perspective it makes interesting reading.

Also, I am away this week for a few days, thus my next column will be published on 20 November, but will cover the two-week period since this issue.