Low turnout at Futurex

The international world of ICT was quiet last week with the Infor/SSA deal being the highlight, while the local market was focused around the Telkom/Business Connexion deal and the various local results that were published.

* Infor acquired SSA Global to create the world`s third largest enterprise software provider behind Oracle and SAP.

* Excellent interim numbers from DataPro, with revenue and profit both up over 50%.
* Mixed annual figures from Datatec, with revenue up over 18% but profit down.
* Very good interim numbers from UCS, with revenue up over 40% and attributable profit up over 70%.
* Good interim figures from Reunert, with revenue up nearly 20% and profit up over 30%.
* The appointments of Jeffrey Hedberg as CEO of Cell C and Talaat Laham as non-executive chairman of Cell C.
* The withdrawal of the second suitor for Business Connexion.
* DataPro acquired Definity Telecommunications. This is DataPro`s third purchase this year, the other two being BizCall and NetraLINK.
* The appointment of Storgate Africa as the South African distributor for the Brocade range of storage switches, routers, gateways, wide area file servers and software solutions.
* Datatec announced it is planning a secondary listing in London to fund more overseas acquisitions.

If the industry is to have any impact on government and its ICT policy, it needs to become a single voice under a single banner.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Econet Wireless bought a 65% stake in Burundi`s ST Cellular SA.
* Telkom Kenya will sell its two subsidiaries, Gilgil Technical Institute and the Kenya College of Communications Technology, as part of its restructuring process.
* According to a report by the OECD, Africa`s mobile telecommunications sector has grown by 39% since 2000.

* The creation of a joint venture between Vodafone and Japan`s Softbank.
* Ditech Communications changed its name to Ditech Networks.
* Microsoft acquired Whale Communications, a provider of secure access products.
* Sokudo, a joint venture company between Applied Materials and Dainippon Screen Manufacturing, was established to deliver technically differentiated track solutions for customers` critical semiconductor manufacturing requirements.
* Infor acquired SSA Global to consolidate the enterprise software systems market even more and create a true number three to Oracle and SAP with a turnover of about $1.6 billion. Infor, originally known as Agilisys, acquired Infor Business Solutions AG in 2004 and changed its name. It then bought Mapics in early 2005. This latest purchase brings the Baan, BPCS, Infineon, Marcam and EXE Technologies brands/products and many others, as well as those of Infor, into a single entity.
* The appointments of Keith Cowan as president and CEO of High Tower, John Coyne as president and COO of Western Digital, Alan Gow as CEO of Virgin Mobile, Christopher Gardner as CEO of Vitesse Semiconductor, Chuck Kissner as chairman of Stratex Networks (was CEO), Jaron Lotan as chairman of RadView Software, Gordon Smith as chairman of High Tower (was CEO), Eric Tien as president of SEMI Taiwan, Marv Tseu as CEO of Axesstel, Thomas Waechter as president and CEO of Stratex Networks, and Zuo Xunsheng as CEO of China Netcom Group (Hong Kong).
* The resignations of Tom Alexander as founder and CEO of Virgin Mobile; Roderick Deane as chairman of Telecom New Zealand, Charles Gurassa as chairman of Virgin Mobile, and Eric Tian as CEO of China Netcom Group (Hong Kong).

* The employment termination of Louis Tomasetta as CEO of Vitesse Semiconductor.
* Analyst upgrades for ADP, AMD, Autodesk, BEA Systems, Broadcom, Brocade Communications Systems, Catapult Communications, CNET Networks, Fiserv, HP, Interface, JDS Uniphase, Linktone, LTX, McAfee, Micron Technology, Microsemi, National Instruments, Navteq, Novatel Wireless, Ntelos, NTT, Photronics, Research in Motion, Sohu.com and Ultimate Software.
* Analyst downgrades for Altera, Amkor Technology, AU Optronics, Brady, CA, Cognos, EchoStar Communications, LaserCard and SSA Global Technology.

* A positive results announcement from LogicaCMG.
* Negative result warnings from Bango, Bechtle AG, Morse, Nortel Networks and RM Group.
* Stock repurchase announcements from EarthLink, IXYS, Linear Technology, NetEase.com and QAD.
* Private funding obtained for Guardium, a database security company; Instantis, an on-demand financial software vendor; Spotwave Wireless, a wireless developer; and SupplyScape, an RFID software and security vendor.
* A private placing of stock by Eschelon Telecom and VocalTec.
* Stock offering announcements by Cogent Communications, Liberty Global and SunPower.
* Share split announcements from eMerge Interactive (reverse 1:15), Nice Systems (2:1) and ScanSource (2:1).
* Planned IPOs from Datagroup IT Services Holdings AG and InterMetro Communications, a provider of VOIP infrastructure services.
* An IPO filing from Stanley, an IT services provider.
* A disappointing IPO by Embarq.

* A possible bid for SAP, which has stated it would be open to offers.

* Global HDD shipments in 2005 increased to nearly 381 million, up 24.4% over 2004, says IDC.

* JSE All share index: Down 7.3%
* Nasdaq: Down 2.2%
* Top SA share movements: CompuClearing (-13.8%), ISA (-10%), Jasco (-11.9%), Pinnacle (-12.1%), Spescom (-9.5%), Stella Vista (-13.3%), Vesta (+28.6%) and Zaptronix (11.1%)
* Top international share movements: Arrowhead Research (-24.2%), Aspyra (+39.4%), Com21 (-33.3%), Digital Lightwave (-23.7%), Hurray! (-23.4%), LTX (+28.1%), SafeNet (-26.3%), Silicon Graphics (+33.6%), SSA Global (+23.2%) and Stratex Networks (-30.9%)

The disappointing attendance at last week`s Futurex and its associated exhibitions and conference is symptomatic of a product past its sell-by date.

SA should learn from what has happened globally where there are few generic ICT exhibitions left, with Cebit being one of these.

If the industry is to have any impact on government and its ICT policy, it needs to become a single voice under a single banner, probably the Computer Society, and not the disparate situation we have at present.