I would like to say something that most of your guys will not like.
I had been a two year WIND holder until early this year. I sold all of my WIND because I thought that the management, particularly Ron Ablemen and Richard Kraber, have betrayed individual investors, that the execution in WRS had serous flaws, and that its management was complacent over the threat of CE. I would hardly say that these three problem have been solved.
Most people here seems to think the WIND is extremely under valued. Maybe a more careful understanding of WRS' business is needed. While WRS is strong in its traditional market, it has yet proven selling in large volumes going against CE or Palm OS in the consumer electronics market. Much of its success would be depended on the execution of partners such as NCI and FlashPoint. This business model in itself has a lot of uncertainties. As for I2O, I think it is still too early to talk about its volume and time frame.
Having said I this, I do think WRS has a relatively good future ahead of itself. If NCI or I2O ever realizes its potential, WIND will fly. But at this point WIND has to show that it can:
1) Find a good CEO,
2) Knock ISI out, and
3) Get ready to take on CE.
In conclusion, I am not saying VxWorks/IxWorks are not great products. It is the management execution and market opportunity that's going to determine the outcome. At this point, whether WRS will ever realize its potential is iffy. But I am going to make my bet with WIND again. This time, I will not get as mad as last time if I get burned, because I do know the risks in WIND. |
