Mediocre quarterly results rule

The proposed $53 billion acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless by Deutsche Telekom and a large number of mediocre quarterly results (such as those from Computer Associates, IBM, Lucent, Microsoft and Unisys) dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

At home, the very successful UK listing of Dimension Data (now the third-largest technology company on the LSE) and the "not so good" news from CCH stole local headlines.

• profit warnings from CCH and Digicore;
• a rights issue from USKO;
• CCH`s announcement that it would close its Middle East operation and look to sell-off Orca Technologies;
• the liquidation of Dynamic Training Solutions; and
• the announcement that Sybase SA is to buy-back into its parent company.

[Local]
[Cautionary]
[Listing]
[Result]

• Ceridian announced that it planned to split the organisation into two separate publicly traded companies, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
• Baan`s audited figures show a bigger loss for last year than was previously reported.
• There was also the appointment of Valeri Marks as president and CEO of Digital Broadband Comms; and
• the resignations of Yorgen Edholm, president and CEO of Brio Technology, and Ivan Webb, president and CEO of Broadband Wireless.

[International]

Excellent figures were posted by Advanced Fibre Comms, Allaire (back in the black), AMD, ARM Holdings, ASM lithography NV, Bell Microproducts, Broadcom, Celestica, Check Point Software, Cognex, Copper Mountain Networks, Corning, Cypress Semiconductor. Digital Lightwave, eForce, Exar, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, Go2Net, Inktomi (back in the black), Iona Technologies, ISS Group, Kent Electronics, Lattice Semiconductor (back in the black), M-Systems (back in the black), Macromedia, MetaSolv, Micrel, Micromuse, NetCreations, Novellus, Plexus, PLX Technology, Polycom, Qlogic, Rambus, RF Micro Devices, Rohn Industries, SanDisk, Scient (back in the black), Siebel Systems, Silicon Labs, Silicon Storage (back in the black), Silicon Valley group (back in the black), STMicroelectronics, Teradyne, Terayon Comms Systems (back in the black), TriQuint Semiconductor, Turnstone Systems (back in the black), Viant (back in the black), WebTrends and Xilinx.

Losses came from 360networks, Accrue Software, Aehr Test Systems, Ancor, Applied Microsystems, Applix, Avid Technology, Blaze Software, BroadVision, Centillium Comms, Centra Software, click2learn.com, CNET Networks, Cobalt Networks, Coexist Systems, Com21, Commerce One, Commtouch Software, Complete Business Solutions, Critical Path CrossWorlds Software, CTG, Cybersource, Datatec Systems, Ddi, Digimarc, Digital Impact, Digital Island, DigitalThink, DOCdata NV, DoubleClick, ECSS, Efficient Networks, ENCAD, ExciteAtHome, Exodus Comms, Extensity, Fourth Shift, GenRad, Giga Information Group, Globalstar Telecomms LP, Handspring, HMT Technology, HNC Software, Hutchinson Technology, i2, iManage, Incyte Genomics, Informatica, Information Resources, Insignia Solutions, IntelliCorp, Interact Commerce, InterDigital Comms, Interface Systems, Interspeed, Komag, KPNQwest NV, Landmark Systems, Larscom, Level 3 Comms, Liberty Livewire, Lucent Technologies, Made2Manage Systems, McAfee.com, Media Matrix, Mercator Software, Metricom, Micro Component Technology, NDC, NetIQ, NetManage, Network Access Solutions, Network Equipment Technologies, Network Peripherals, New Era of Networks, Nextel, Next Level Comms, Omtool, ON Semiconductor, Optika, Parametric Technology, Parthus Technologies Plc., Peregrine Systems, Perle Systems, Phone.com, Primus, Prodigy Comms, Prologic, Proxicom, PSDI, Quintus, Radcom, Rainmaker Systems, RealNetworks, Rogers AT&T Wireless, Rogers Comms, Sage, SDL, Selectica, Secure Computing, Silicon Imaging, Telemate.net Software, Transact Technologies, Tumbleweed Comms, Tut Systems, Unicomp, Veritas Software, Vyyo, Westell Technologies and Xircom.

Good numbers were recorded by Advent Software, Andrew, Antec, AOL, Applied innovation, Asyst Technologies, ATMI (back in the black), BARRA, BellSouth, BHC Comms, Business Objects, Carrier Access, Cerprobe (back in the black), CIDCO, Cirrus Logic (back in the black), Cognizant Technology, CommScope, Concord Comms, CyberOptics (back in the black), Digital Microwave, Documentum (back in the black), EMC, Entrust Technologies, Ericsson, General Semiconductor, Ikos Systems, IMS, Inet Technologies, Inforte, Intel, Internet Business Group, ITG, JDA Software, Lawson Software, Lexmark, Manhattan Associates (back in the black), MapInfo, Mattson Technology (back in the black), Microtest (back in the black), Network Associates (back in the black), Newport, Nogatech (back in the black), PeopleSoft (back in the black), Philips Electronics, Phoenix Technologies, Photon Dynamics, Plantronics, Predictive Systems (back in the black), S&T Systems Integration & Technology Distribution AG (back in the black), Sagent Technology (back in the black), Samsung Electronics, SCM Microsystems (back in the black), Sipex, Sun Microsystems, SunGard Data Systems, Symantec, Tekelec (back in the black), TeleCom Semiconductor, TeleTech Holdings, Tellabs and Univision Comms.

Satisfactory figures came from 3D Systems (back in the black), Alltel, Ansys, Apple, Artesyn Technologies, Bell & Howell, Boston Comms Group, Cadence Design Systems (back in the black), Dassault Systemes, DST Systems, Eastman Kodak, Equifax, ESS Technology, Genesis Microchip, Informix (back in the black), Microsoft, MIPS, Mitel (back in the black), Pitney Bowes, Power Integrations, Qualcomm, Quintel Comms, Rogers, Schawk, SCT, Somera Comms, Sprint, Sybase, Syntellect (back in the black), Telephone & Data Systems, Trimble, Xicor (back in the black) and Zebra Technologies.

Mediocre returns were reported by Adaptec, Alliance Semiconductor, AVT, Citrix Systems, Computer Associates, Compuware, Digi International, EMS Technologies, Hi/fn, IBM, Kronos, Latitude Comms, NCR, NetSolve, Qwest Comms International, RadiSys, Saga Systems, Sanmina, SAP, SDRC, Silicom, Technology Solutions, Structural Dynamics Research, Telmex, Timberline Software, Tricom, Unisys and U S Cellular.

Very poor results came from Aspect Comms (but back in the black), Celeritek (but back in the black), Computer Horizons, Data Research Associates, Deltek, Gentia Software, HTE (although back in the black), Innovex, Information Resource Engineering (although back in the black), Interphase, Janna Systems, Mitek, MMC Networks, Proxim, Vitria Technology and Xaar (but back in the black).

Other financial news included profit warnings from Agilent technologies, Aspeon, Baan, British Telecom, ECsoft Group, Ericsson, Freeserve, Infinium Software, Lexmark, Lucent Technologies and Mercator.

Last week was Fortune`s turn to do its rankings with its Global 500 issue.

Paul Booth, columnist, ITWeb

There were share split announcements from AMD, Atmel, Extreme Networks, Mpower Comms, Proxim, SBI Comms and Turnstone Systems.

Very successful IPOs came from Airspan Networks (Wireless comms), Corio (application services), Support.com (e-business infrastructure software) and Talarian (infrastructure software); with a satisfactory IPO from Wanadoo (France Telecom Internet unit). Additionally, Workscape has withdrawn its planned IPO.

Locally

CCH (-30.3%)
CIH (-50%)
Conlog (+43.5%)
Contlan (-50%)
ERP (-49.4%)
Labat (-36.2%)
Micrologix (+60%)
OSI (+83.3%)
PTH (+25%)
SecData (+25%)
Y2KTec (-33.3%)
Y3K (-27.8%)

Internationally

Applied Imaging (+48.6%)
Asyst Technologies (-25.5%)
ATMI (-34.3%)
Concentrex (+67.3%)
Digital Microwave (-30%)
Documentum (-39.1%)
Egghead.com (+36%)
ECsoft Group (-34.2%)
Information Resources (+30.3%)
Lam Research (-30.8%)
Larscom (+60%)
Read-Rite (+34.8%)
Unisys (-26.4%)
Xchange (-27.5%)
Xircom (-26.2%)

Last week was Fortune`s turn to do its rankings with its Global 500 issue. There are no major surprises in these lists re IT/telecommunications companies, although the evolution of these industries is such that more and more conglomerates and financial institutions have a major IT/telecommunication component within them, thus making it more and more difficult to define them as being in a specific industry category.