Tiscali SA acquisition furore

The impending Google IPO and the possible sell-off of AT&T dominated the international world of IT and telecommunications last week.

Moira de Roche was elected as the new president of the CSSA.

Paul Booth, MD, Global Research Partners

At home, the furore re Telkom`s possible acquisition of Tiscali SA stole much of the local ICT headline space.

A positive trading update from Digicore; and A firm offer to IST shareholders by Ethos Private Equity, which if successful, would probably lead to the de-listing of the former.

* Local acquisitions, mergers, investments etc
* Local Cautionary Notices
* Local Result Summaries
* Local Major Event Summary

Other local news included:

Moira de Roche was elected as the new president of the CSSA; and The ISPA backlash to Telkom`s proposed take-over of Tiscali SA.

New local distributorships included that of Acer by Axiz; while a new strategic business alliance and empowerment deal was announced by CSC SA with Cornastone Technology and Nokusa Consulting, focused on SAP software implementation.

* Aladdin Systems changed its name to Allume Systems;
* Cisco withdrew its lawsuit against Huawei Technologies; and
* IMSI sold off its Keynomics unit.

Google`s forthcoming IPO remained in the headlines with some proposed pricing, which if achieved, will make the IPO the largest ever Internet offering in dollar terms and could become one of the all-time top 10 IPOs in the US.

International strategic partnerships were announced between HP and TeraText; IBM and Pegasystems; and NEC Solutions America and Imprivata.

Additionally, look out for a possible take-over of AT&T by a private equity company.

* International acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures etc

Other international news included:

The appointments of Ronald Black as CEO of Wavecom, Jerry Chase as CEO of Terayon, Athanasios Kalekos as CEO of Sand Hill Systems and Gad Tobaly as CEO of InfoVista SA;

The resignations of Aram Hekimian as CEO of Wavecom and Khir Abdul Rahman as CEO of Telekom Malaysia; and A job loss announcement from Intentia.

Excellent* figures from Andrew, Ask Jeeves, ASM Pacific Technology, August Technology (back in the black), Axcelis Technologies (back in the black), Brooks Automation, Clarity Commerce Solutions, Cognizant Technology Solutions, CommScope (back in the black), CyberOptics (back in the black), Cymer (back in the black), Euronet Worldwide (back in the black), Google, Hynix Semiconductor (back in the black), Icos Vision Systems, Innovative Solutions and Support, Input/Output (back in the black), inTEST (back in the black), Leadis Technology, Mykrolis (back in the black), Novatel Wireless (back in the black), Perficient, Pericom Semiconductor (back in the black), SI International, Silicon Labs, SINA, SMIC (back in the black), Sonus Networks, Telecommunication Systems, Tom Online and VSE.

Very good* numbers from Akamai (back in the black), AMIS Holdings (back in the black), Amkor (back in the black), AMX, Anixter International, Atari, AVX (back in the black), CGI, ChipPAC (back in the black), Coherent (back in the black), Cree, DiamondCluster (back in the black), Diode, Dot Hill Systems, Firstwave Technologies (back in the black), Harris, InfoSpace (back in the black), International Rectifier, KLA-Tencor, L-3 Comms, MEMC Electronic Materials, Molex, Nam Tai Electronics, National Instruments, Newport (back in the black), NIC, Opnet, Optical Comms Products (back in the black), P-Com (back in the black), Par Technology, Patni Computer Systems, RadVision, Rudolph Technologies, SafeNet (back in the black), Sapient (back in the black), Satyam Computer Services, Scientific Games, Sohu.com, Stratasys, Symmetricom (back in the black), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, TechTeam Global (back in the black), Tecnomatix Technologies (back in the black), Trend Micro, Trimble, TTM Technologies, United Microelectronics, UTStarcom, Varian Semiconductor, WebSense and WM-Data AB.

Good figures* were recorded by Altiris, Amino Technologies (back in the black), Ansys, Anteon, Applix (back in the black), Avaya, Banta, BEI Technologies, Belden CDT (back in the black), Brightpoint, California Micro Devices (back in the black), CAM Commerce Solutions, Ciber, CGI Holding, Click Commerce (back in the black), Computer Horizons, GrafTech International, ICON, Ikonics, Interactive Intelligence (back in the black), Intergraph (back in the black), Intersil (back in the black), iPass, Kronos, LANDesk Software, Lightbridge, LSI Logic (back in the black), Macromedia, Matrix One (back in the black), Matsushita Electric, Nanometrics (back in the black), NEC Electronics, Netegrity (back in the black), Nice Systems, Orange, Parker Comms, Pegasus Solutions, Radware, RAE Systems, Rimage, Scientific-Atlanta, Segue Software (back in the black), Sonic Innovations, Staktek, StarTek, Superior Consultants (back in the black), Symbol Technologies, Synaptics, Teledyne Technologies, Tyler Technologies, Universal Electronics, Veritas Software, Vodavi Technology, Wanadoo and Zebra Technologies

Satisfactory* results were posted by ACS, Actuate (back in the black), Alcatel (back in the black), AltiGen (back in the black), Atlantic Tele-Network, BellSouth, BMC Software, Canon, Check Point Software Technologies, ClickSoft Technologies, Comcast (back in the black), Concur Technologies, Consolidated Graphics, Dassault Systemes, Datastream Systems, EDS, Epiq Systems, Fargo Electronics, GCI, Gemplus, Harte-Hanks, HickoryTech, Imagistics International, Ingram Micro, Instinet (back in the black), Keynote Systems, Komag, Manhattan Associates, McAfee, Merge Technologies, MicroStrategy, Microtune (back in the black), Mitsubishi Electric, Mobius Management Systems, NCR (back in the black), NEC, Nintendo, Performance Technologies, Pitney Bowes, Relm Wireless, Seiko Epson, Siemens AG, Sony, Spectrum Signal Processing (back in the black), TDK, Telefonica, Thomson, TransAct Technologies, Transaction Systems Architects (back in the black), Unova (back in the black) and Verizon Comms.

Mediocre* returns came from ADP, APC, AsiaInfo (but back in the black), Black Box, British Telecom, Business Objects, CenturyTel, Checkpoint Systems, Cincinnati Bell, Cobra Electronics, Cognitronics (back in the black), Cox Comms, CSG International, CT Comms, Dow Corning, ESS Technology, Exult, Fair Isaac, France Telecom, Global Signal, IDX Systems, Ikon, ILOG, Inforte, Insituform Technologies, InterVideo, ITG, Mandator AB (but back in the black), Mapics, Netgear, NetManage (but back in the black), NTT DoCoMo, Onyx Software (but back in the black), Optelecom, PanAmSat, Pegasystems, PeopleSoft, Presstek, Ptek, Quest Software, Radyne, S1 (back in the black), Silicon Graphics (but back in the black), Snap-On, Spantel Comms, Superior Essex, Sypris, Tetra Technologies, Tier Technologies, Time Warner and Western Digital.

Very poor results* were reported by Agilysys (but back in the black), Bell Microproducts (but back in the black), CompuDyne, Hitachi, Hytek Microsystems (but back in the black), InFocus (but back in the black), Micro Component Technologies (but back in the black), Pemstar (but back in the black), Sitel (but back in the black) and Veeco Instruments (but back in the black).

Losses* came from 724 Solutions, 8x8, Alaska Comms Systems, Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Alliance Semiconductor, Anadigics, Analex, APAC Customer Services, AXS-One, BackWeb Technologies, BindView, Bookham Technology, BSQUARE, Brillian, Centillium Comms, Ciprico, Commtouch, Completel Europe SAS, Conexant, Corio, CoSine Comms, Covad Comms, Cray, Critical Path, Crown Castle International, Datakey, DDi, deltathree, Digimarc, Eclipsys, Enterasys Networks, Entrust, Endwave, Equinix, Evolving Systems, Exabyte, Extended Systems, FalconStor Software, Fujitsu, Genesis Microchip, Genus, GlowPoint, GSI Commerce, Hypercom, I-many, IEC Electronics, InfoVista, Insight Comms, Insignia Solutions, ISCO International, Jacada, JDS Uniphase, Knology, LanOptics, Level 3 Comms, LogicVision, LookSmart, Magma Design Automation, Maxwell Technologies, McLeodUSA, MDSI, Metalink, Metro One Telecomms, Midway Games, Mobility Electronics, Mpower Holding, NetIQ, New Horizons Worldwide, Nextel Partners, NTN Comms, Nuance, Nyfix, ON Semiconductor, Openwave, Oplink, Pac-West Telecom, Pinnacle Systems, Plaintree Systems, Powerwave Technologies, Primus Telecomms, Proxim, PSi Technologies, Quantum, RadView, Raindance Comms, Rainmaker Systems, RealNetworks, SBA Comms, Semitool, SonicWALL, SR Telecom, SumTotal Systems, Suntron, Tarantella, Telewest Global, Terayon Comms Systems, Three-Five Systems, THQ, Toshiba, Tvia, US Unwired, US LEC, Verilink, Verisity, Vitria, Vyyo, Wavecom, WaveRider Comms and Zoran.

Other financial news included analyst upgrades for Agilysys, Asyst Technologies, Business Objects, Cree, Forrester Research, InfoSpace, Lionbridge Technologies, Manhattan Associates, National Instruments, Packeteer, Synopsys, Tellabs and WebSense; and analyst downgrades for Amkor, Applied Materials, Asyst Technologies, AVX, Californian Micro Devices, Catapult Comms, Comcast, Cox Comms, Cymer, Digimarc, Digitas, Fargo Electronics, Gtech, Inforte, Mentor Graphics, LSI Logic, MTC Technologies, Multimedia Games, National Semiconductor, Nokia, PeopleSoft, Sina, Symbol Technologies, Teradyne, Varian Semiconductor and Vishay.

There was a private placement of share by Robotic Vision Systems; private funding was obtained for Airespace, Aruba Wireless Networks, Tropic Networks and You Software; share buy-back announcements from Amdocs, Ariba, EarthLink, Intergraph, Magma Design Automation, Mercury Interactive, MicroStrategy, Molecular Devices, SST, Staktek, WJ Comms and ZiLOG; a shareholders rights plan from Lawson Software; negative results/profit warnings (often veiled) from Amkor, AsiaInfo, Ask Jeeves, EDS, Lightbridge, Patni Computer Systems and Silicon Labs; a postponed IPO from Engenio Information Technologies; and a proposed IPO from Volterra Semiconductor.

Locally

Beget (-33.3%)
Bryant (+50%)
Cape Empowerment Trust (+100%)
Control (+14.5%)
CS Holdings (47.1%)
Global Technology (-50%)
Jasco (+14%)
Labat Africa (-15.8%)
Sethold (+10%)
Zaptronix (-33.3%)

Internationally

Andrew (-26.5%)
Auspex Systems (+60%)
Cray (-36.7%)
DDi (+28.6%)
DiamondCluster International (+36.3%)
FiberMark (-31.6%)
Primus Telecomms (-57.1%)
Sapient (+45.5%)
SONICblue (+28.6%)
Wavecom (-36.1%)

In terms of indices, Nasdaq was up 2.1% and the JSE up 2.4% for the week.

Fortune`s Global 500 listings have been published. From a technology perspective and ranked by revenues, the top company is Nippon Telegraph & Telephone at 16 followed closely by IBM at 19, Siemens at 21, Hitachi at 23 and HP at 24. New entries include MCI at 168 and Swisscom at 498, while Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks have dropped out of the listings.

* NB

Guidelines for the categorisation of results are as follows and are always in comparison with the equivalent period for the previous year; pro forma numbers are ignored (the terminology may vary slightly from country to country).

* Excellent: Both revenue and net income growth in excess of 50%.
* Very good: Both revenue and net income growth in excess of 25%.
* Good: Both revenue and net income growth in excess of 10%.
* Satisfactory: Revenue is within 10% of previous year and net income is up.
* Mediocre: Either revenue and/or net income is down.
* Very poor: Net income is less than 1% of revenue.
* Loss: A loss has been recorded.