Microsoft ruling makes waves

The Microsoft ruling re the break-up of the company, and the multi-billion dollar acquisition of Sirocco Systems by Sycamore Networks, which only listed very recently in the US, dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

This week and the next few weeks are likely to be dominated by various Microsoft activities in the lead-up to the appeal

Paul Booth, Columnist, ITWeb

At home, the SATRA and Department of Communications "squabble" andthe announcement by the government that a second fixed-line telephone operator will enter the market from May 2002 stole many local headlines. This 2002 news was also very welcome, although it`s a pity we have to wait so long for Telkom to have some competition and hopefully start providing some form of a service.

[Local]

[Cautionary]

[Listing]

[Result]

Other local news included:

[International]

Other international news included:

• the

  appointment

  of Alan Lowe as president and CEO of Read-Rite; and

• job cuts announcements by Corel.

We saw excellent figures from California Amplifier.

Losses came from American Software, e-SIM, Korea Thrunet, Logility, Merant, Navisite and SpectraSite.

Good numbers were recorded by Charles River Associates, Comtech Comms, ePlus, National Semiconductor (back in the black), Synstar and Tech Data. Satisfactory results were reported by MKS (back in the black), SAN Holdings and Volt Information Sciences.

Very poor results came from 4Front Technologies.

Other financial news included profit warnings from EDS, Electronics for Imaging, Great Plains and Synstar; share split announcements from REMEC and Trident Media Group; a mediocre IPO from UbiquiTel (associated with Sprint); and a postponed (for second time) IPO from Chello Broadband.

Locally

Acuity (+66.7%)
Aplitec (+35.2%)
Brainware (-33.3%)
Cape Empowerment Trust (-46.7%)
CIH (-50%)
E-Data (+36.4%)
JemTech (-33.3%)
Sethold (+35.1%)
Spescom (-40.4%)
Y2KTec (-66.7%)

Internationally

Able Telecom Holdings (+72%)
Active Voice (+46.2%)
American Superconductor (+54.3%)
Active Software (+58.7%)
Continuous Software (+44.6%)
Elantec Semiconductor (+39.7%)
Extreme Networks (+45%)
LanOptics (+40.7%)
Open Market (+39.4%)
PC Tel (+39.8%)
PSC (+46%)
Robocom Systems International (+57.1%)

Apart from the Microsoft ruling, last week was comparatively quiet as the US started its holiday season, and this week and the next few weeks are likely to be dominated by various Microsoft activities in the lead-up to the appeal. I don`t intend repeating much of the normal debate re the potential break-up of Microsoft, but I`ve seen very little said of the investments it has in such things as cable TV and communications generally, and where these might fit in a split company. Perhaps they will form a third entity or maybe they`ll be sold off.