Crs, Thanks for that little comentary, I agree that businesses will go on and people will realize that this Hong Kong situation is really not going to be a concern to many of these small companies that are in the US. But I don't agree with your analysis that pure gateway plays are dead. I think that Vocaltec will do very well if you look at the longer term picture. It is a leader in this new medium of internet chatting, and although it may be easy to duplicate, the one that is easiest to use and carries the most traffic will win out. Because Vocaltec has the backing and the highest market share, I believe that will greatly benefit them. The reason I say that is that is because when you talk on the internet for free, both parties need the same software. I know when I looked at the packages available one of the reasons I went with Vocaltec is most of my friends were using it. Also there seemed to be many more possibilities of use with the product like participating in chat, and community rooms.
Vocaltec will will trade up and down depending on market conditions, how quickly they can move into positive earnings, and the growth of the medium. But I think that is different than saying it is over for them. Also, the technology may be simple, but the time to develop the customer base, brand name, and upgrade to handle the traffic is not something you do overnight. I believe that is just as important as making the technology.
Ron |
