The demise of Baan

Top international IT news last week was the final demise of Baan with the announcement that Invensys, despite not having the previously required 95% buy-in, has now taken control and made a number of new appointments. The continuing flow of quarterly losses also made headlines.

At home, the start of Dimension Data`s buying spree of minority shareholdings in some of its subsidiary companies, and the overseas purchase by Ixchange and Softline, stole much of the local headline space.

• we had good year-end figures from Global Technology (second six months much better than first six months);
• satisfactory full-year numbers from Zaptronix (revenue only marginally improved but "real" bottom line well up);
• a full-year loss from Integrated Technology Holdings;
• a profit warning from Set Point Technology Holdings; and
• the satisfactory debut of iTouch on the London Stock Exchange (the issue price was 70p, which was below original expectations).
• There were also rumours that Nedcor might take a further stake in Dimension Data.

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

• we saw the suspension of the CEO and CFO of Unify;
• the indefinite postponement ICL`s IPO;
• persistent rumours of a tie-up between British Telecom and Telefonica; and
• a major announcement from Computer Associates is expected today.

[International]

Other international news included:

the appointment of Edward Smoot as CEO of Anacomp;

the resignations of Donald Thurman, COO of Anacomp and Keith Todd, CEO of ICL; and

job losses (about 1 000) at Invensys (re Baan deal) and Quest Comms (maybe as many as 4 000).

The European Commission has formally opened an anti-trust case against Microsoft for allegedly abusing its market position with respect to PC operating systems software.

Paul Booth, columnist, ITWeb

We saw excellent figures from Emulex, Sapient and UTStarcom.

Losses came from Access Worldwide Comms, Activision, Agate Technologies, Allin, Asyst Technologies, Avici Systems, Baltimore Technologies, Bitstream, Caminus, Charter Comms, Click Commerce, Computron, Convergent Comms, Creo Products, Cypress Comms, Data Dimensions, Digex, Dobson Comms, Elcom International, Epic Data, Equant, Focal Comms, General Magic, Genuity, Global Crossing, Golden Telecom, GT Group Telecom, Indigo NV, InteliData, Intelligroup, Interland, Intermedia Comms, Internet Cable, ISG International Software Group, iXL Enterprise, Juno Online Services, Lanier Worldwide, Loral Space & Comms, Mapics, Millicom International Cellular SA, Minacs Worldwide, Mpower Comms, Netlojix, Nextera Enterprises, Notify Technologies, ONI Systems, PDSI, Pegasus Solutions, PixTech, Plaintree Systems, Preferred Networks, Previo, Primus Telecomms, RCN, RSL Comms, S3, SAMSys Technologies, SEC SA, Sequoia Software, Sierra Systems, SoftQuad Software, Sync Research, Tekgraf, TeleCorp PCS, Terra Networks, Telewest Comms Plc., Transcrypt, Triant Technologies, US LEC, ValiCert, Veramark Technologies, Versata, VIA NET.WORKS, Viador, Viatel, Winstar Comms and ZDNet.

Good numbers were recorded by ACS, Amkor Technology, APAC Customer Services, Autonomy Corp Plc., Creative Technology, Data Systems and Software (back in the black), Eltek (back in the black), Gentner Comms, Group 1 Software, GSI Lumonics (back in the black), Hummingbird (back in the black), Hyperion, ILOG SA, Intershop Comms AG (back in the black), Jupiter Comms, Korea Telecom, Macrovision (back in the black), NetCom AB, SCI Systems, Sykes Enterprises, SPSS, Taiwan Semiconductor and Time Warner Telecom.

Satisfactory figures were posted by Comms Systems, CSC, Electronics for Imaging, Intelligent Systems, Magic Software, Mercury Computer Systems, Micronetics and PCD.

Mediocre returns came from ECI Telecom, IMRGlobal, Ingram Micro, MDC, Perot Systems, RCM Technologies, Roseville Comms and Synergon Informatika Rt.

Very poor results came from Biper SA, CFW Comms (but back in the black), Integral Systems, Jacada, MicroTel International, OAO Technology Solutions, PacificNet.com, Paravant, SEMX, StorageTek (but back in the black) and SVI.

Other financial news included profit warnings from Anacomp, Dell and Synopsys; share split announcements from Bell Microproducts, Merix, Netegrity, Plexus, Polycom and Sapient.

There were also mediocre IPOs from Crosswave Comms (fibre-optics), Exe Technologies (SCM software) and Latronics (networking equipment); and successful IPOs from Opnet Technologies (network design), Floware Wireless (Comms), Giganet (wireless equipment), Microtune (Comms equipment), Resonate (e-business software), SpeechWorks (speech recognition software) and Western Multiplex (broadband wireless). Additionally, BroadbandNOW withdrew its pending IPO and Smartlink (broadband comms) postponed its entry into the market.

Locally

ASAS (-25%)
Brainware (-50%)
Hicor (+42.9%)
I-Tech (+42.9%)
Jasco (+37.5%)
JemTech (-25%)
Smacsoft (+60%)
Spicer (+33.3%)
UAM (-45.7%)
ValueCom (-25%)

Internationally

3Com (+38.6%)
4Front Technologies (+34%)
Anacomp (-66.7%)
Brocade (+22.1%)
Cacheflow (+25.7%)
Global TeleSystems (+26.1%)
JD Edwards (+57.6%)
LTX (-27.4%)
Micromuse (+25.9%)
Veritas Software (+28.1%)

It`s now Europe`s turn. The European Commission has formally opened an anti-trust case against Microsoft for allegedly abusing its market position with respect to PC operating systems software.