SNO is on track

Last week was quiet both locally and internationally, with no specific earth-shattering events.

* Excellent year-end numbers from Y3K Group with revenue up over 200% and profits up to above R3 million from R135 000.
* Excellent annual figures from Eureka with profit up 20-fold following a revaluation if its investments.
* An interim loss from Vesta with revenues also down.
* A positive trading update from RAH.
* The merger of Grintek and Saab`s avionics and electronic warfare systems sectors.
* The appointment of Robert Gumede as executive deputy chairman of Gijima AST.
* The appointment of Comztek as the distributor for Wacom in SA.

Assuming this date is met, some SNO services should be operational by year-end.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

* The merger of Integrated Device Technology and Integrated Circuit Systems in a deal valued at $1.7 billion.
* HP splits its PC and printing groups into two separate units once again.
* Network Appliance acquired storage encryption specialist, Decru.
* The cessation of talks between Versatel and Belgacom.
* The appointments of Hank Delevati as chairman of Versant, Robert Ewald as CEO of Linux Networx, Patrick Jones as acting chairman of Lattice Semiconductor, Larry Morgan as president and CEO of Virtela, Navin Nagiah as CEO of Cignex, Hector Noboa as CEO of Tricom, Bob O`Neil as president and CEO of Covergence, Stephen Skaggs as acting CEO of Lattice Semiconductor, and Jochen Witte as CEO of Versant.
* The resignations of Carl Carlson, president and CEO of Tricom, Nick Ordon as chairman, president and CEO of Versant, and Lee Yong-kyung as CEO of Korea Telecom.
* The 'departure` of David Paratore, president and COO of American Superconductor.
* Analyst upgrades for Alltel, American Superconductor, BMC Holdings, Digital Insight, Fairchild Semiconductor, Leadis Technology, Manugistics, Powerwave Technologies, Silicon Storage Technology, Symantec and Witness Systems.
* Analyst downgrades for Adtran, APC, BEA Systems, CCC Information Services Group, Intrado, Kronos, Lam Research, Marvell Technology Group, MEMC Electronic Materials, Mercury Computer, Mercury Interactive, Philips Electronics, Pixelworks, Power Integrations, SS&C Technologies, Texas Instruments and Western Digital.
* Positive results announcements from Equinix and SRA International.
* Negative result warnings from California Micro Devices, Fibernet, Metrologic Instruments, Philips Electronics and Printronix.
* Stock repurchase announcements from Imagistics and Logitech.
* A job loss announcement from HP.
* Private funding obtained for Azure Solutions, a provider of cost and revenue assurance software; Convergence, a network management security advisor; Meru Networks, a wireless LAN network developer; Protonex Technology, a fuel-cell developer; SiBeam, a high-speed wireless chip start-up; Soma Networks, a broadband wireless equipment specialist; VoiceAge, a multimedia content adaptation provider; and Webify Solutions, a provider of service-oriented business software.
* A stock offering announcement by Cogent Communications.
* A share split announcement from Logitech (2:1).
* A planned IPO on London`s AIM by AT Communications, a voice technology supplier.
* An IPO filing from Internet services firm, Tucows.
* A good IPO in London by Inmarsat.
* A withdrawn IPO from Jazz Semiconductor.

* The privatisation of InfoUSA.

* Worldwide semiconductor IP revenue was $1.27 billion in 2004, a growth of 20.7% from 2003, says Gartner.
* The Q105 storage software market grew 14.9% over Q104 to $2.1 billion, according to IDC, with EMC taking a 30% market share, followed by Veritas with 21.4% and IBM with 8.6%.
* The South African IT services market is expected to grow to R27.5 billion by 2009, predicts BMI-TechKnowledge.

* JSE All share index: Up 1.8% (record high)
* Nasdaq: Up 1.3%
* Top SA share movements: Alliance Data (-16.7%), Beget Holdings (+16.7%), Faritec (+12.5%), Labat Africa (-7.1%), Stella Vista (+42.9%), Vesta Technology (+100%), Y3K (+14.7%) and Zaptronix (-7.7%).
* Top international share movements: American Superconductor (+25.3%), AirNet Communications (+27.6%), Documedia Solutions (+99.8%), Elcom International (+53.8%), FiberMark (+40%), Pegasus Communications (-43.1%), Proxim (-71.6%), Rainmaker Systems (+33.3%), Safeguard Scientifics (+25.5%) and Warthog (+24%).

It seems the second national operator (SNO) process is still on track, with the issuing of a licence expected by month-end, a date when Mandla Langa, the current chairman of ICASA, is also expected to vacate his position. Assuming this date is met, some SNO services should be operational by year-end.