MS software delays dominate headlines

The international ICT scene last week was dominated by Microsoft`s announcements of the delays to the Vista operating system and the new version of its Office software. In addition, from the quarterly results announced last week, Oracle and Palm posted good numbers; however, disappointing numbers came from 3Com and Adobe. The local ICT scene was dominated by the new Telkom offer for Business Connexion, along with the results from MTN.

* Microsoft delayed its launch, yet again, of its Windows Vista operating system and the new version of its Office software.

* Very good interim results from EOH, with revenue up over 25% and earnings up over 66%.
* Good year-end results (nine months only because of a change of year-end to 31 December) from MTN.
* Satisfactory year-end numbers from Idion, with revenue up 6% and profit just back in the black.
* A positive trading update from Square One Solutions.
* Telkom SA made another bid for Business Connexion with an attractive offer, well in excess of previous approaches.
* The Yottabyte consortium headed by Andile Ngcaba bought a 41.5% stake in Inala Technologies, a distributor of test and measurement equipment to telecommunications network operators.
* Metrofile to pay out EC-Hold shareholders.

* iTouch SA opened an office in Lagos, Nigeria.
* MTN lost out in its bid for a stake in Tunisie Telecom. France Telecom, Tecom and Vivendi now enter the final round of the privatisation process.

The local ICT scene was dominated by the new Telkom offer for Business Connexion, along with the results from MTN.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* Google joined the S&P 500 stock index.
* Dell bought Alienware, a maker of high-end notebooks and desktops.
* HP formed a handheld division into which it has put its iPaq business.
* Borland acquired Gauntlet Systems, a provider of software delivery optimisation technology.
* Lucent Technologies won an auction for Riverstone Networks` business, beating other bidders such as Ericsson.
* Framfab AB and LB Icon AB will merge to create Europe`s largest specialist digital design and Internet consulting group. The new group will adopt a new name and be led by Robert Pickering, the current CEO of LB Icon.
* CDC will spin-out its enterprise software division, to be called CDC Software.
* Check Point Software Technologies` acquisition of Sourcefire was called off.
* The appointments of Eli Holtzman as chairman of Yahala, Nizar Hori as CEO of Yahala, and Alan Horn as chairman of Rogers Communications.
* The resignations of Rod Aldridge as chairman of Capita Group, and Garfield Emerson as chairman of Rogers Communications.
* Analyst upgrades for Alcatel, Covad Communications, Earthlink, Electronic Arts, Extreme Networks, Google, Jabil Circuit, Level 3 Communications, Microsemi, Novell, Nvidia, Telefonica, WatchGuard Technologies and Yahoo.
* Analyst downgrades for Adobe, BellSouth, Cbeyond Technologies, Check Point Software Technologies, EMC, Euronet Worldwide, F5 Networks, Juniper Networks, Netease.com and Research in Motion.
* Positive results announcements from Digital River, GSI Group, Palm, Rambus and Webraska SA.
* A negative result warning from LG Philips LCD.
* A stock repurchase announcement from Docucorp.
* Private funding obtained for Hexaware Technologies, an Indian offshore IT services provider; Napatech, a leader in programmable high-speed Ethernet network adapters; and Proofpoint, a messaging security vendor.
* A private placing of stock by Navarre.
* Stock offering announcements by Global Traffic Network, ICT Group and LightPath Technologies.
* Planned IPOs from Russia`s Euroset, a mobile handset reseller, and Saifun Semiconductors.
* An IPO filing from Commvault, a backup and data replication software vendor.
* A very good IPO by Nextest Systems, a testing company for integrated circuits.
* The de-listing of Eleco on the LSE and the transfer to a listing on London`s AIM.
* The announcement that NEC will re-state its earnings from March 2002.

* A possible take-over of Cable & Wireless with names such as Colt Telecom, France Telecom and Vodafone in the frame.
* The merger of Lucent Technologies and Alcatel SA, which if consummated would create a $33 billion trans-Atlantic communications equipment supplier.

* JSE All share index: Up 2.5% (highest ever weekend close)
* Nasdaq: Up 0.2%
* Top SA share movements: Altech (+10%), Business Connexion (+12.9%), Cape Empowerment Trust (+14.8%), CompuClearing (+18.8%), Dynamic Cables (-17.8%), EOH (+9.4%), Idion (+8.3%), ISA (+19.4%) and Vesta (+16.7%).
* Top international share movements: Com21 (+100%), DA Consulting Group (-37.5%), Digital Lightwave (+41.7%), Exabyte (-27.9%), Level 3 Communications (+26.2%), Proxim (-31.6%), Safeguard Scientifics (+22.6%), SBS Technologies (+51.8%), SunCom Wireless (+22.9%) and ZiLOG Semiconductor (+23.7%).

BusinessWeek has published its annual list of the top 50 performers of the S&P 500. From a technology perspective, Apple is at number (was 14); Qualcomm at eight (13); Motorola at 13 (143); Yahoo at 14 (eight); Jabil Circuit at 18 (153); EMC at 20 (229); Texas Instruments at 22 (139); Cisco at 23 (46); and Intel at 25 (55). eBay, Microsoft and Nvidia were also in the top 50.