>>Cringely confidently spreads a rumor.>>
This guy Cringely is obviously a moron. He thinks CHKP is still a private company. It has been public since (as I recall) 1997. How do idiots like him get an audience on the web? Oh, well. No slight to you, Daniel, just tired of SYMC not getting enough respect from clowns like Cringely who opine now and do their DD later. I owned CHKP in early 1998, so I know all about solid companies getting no respect on The Street. With regard to SYMC, one day the number of anti-virus software companies will dwindle to one or two, and The Street will realize what a vast competitive advantage the few remaining companies have. Their databases of past viruses, as well as their collective know-how regarding fighting viruses, will be worth an untold fortune. Indeed, the databases alone will have significance from a national security standpoint. From an economic perspective, within five years or so more than a billion people will have wireless web devices, and they'll all need AV protection (indeed, we'll soon need AV protection on our cell phones). What's this irreplaceable service worth? $1 a month? Maybe $2? And, with regard to wireless web devices, this a 97-98% gross margin business as upgrades will be automatically downloaded from the web from the lucky company's (hopefully, SYMC's) servers while the user sleeps. No doubt that JThompson knows this, which is probably why he left his comfy job at IBM. If SYMC wins the anti-virus battle, this stock is a 30-bagger from here, perhaps more. Check back in 5-7 years.
RK |
