Some thoughts on the Annual Meeting -
Ron Ohio has already told you some stuff and I will try to add to it. I didn't take any notes so everything is subject to my memory and my "feel" for the meeting.
Before the meeting I spent time looking at the new, smaller TP-600 scanner (really cool), the keyboards (Cherry & Key Tronic) and MT mouse, the V20 and some ANADAC stuff.
Let me say up front that everyone from the company was very upbeat and positive about how things are going with the company. And make no mistake about it, the Identicator acquisition is crucial to our future success! A great deal is flowing from that action. It all came together for me at the meeting about how important Identicator is.
Paul Bulger is a dynamo at ANADAC and good things are happening there.
Bill Spence (who jumped ship from Recognition Systems) is another dynamo who seems to be very focused and enthusiastic about the possibilities at IDX. He says that within a year the V20 will be in some homes and within two years will be much more common in everyday uses. When talking with him after the meeting he pointed out that there was virtually no mention whatsoever of technology during the meeting because "we are beyond the technology now" - it works, it is proven, there's no question about the technology anymore.
Looking back on the meeting there was only one very brief mention of another new partner or two that will be announced in the coming months (before the end of the year?). I got the feeling that IDX has most of its partnering behind it now and their main focus now is DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION - getting there stuff out the door and into the hands of their primary customers.
Daniel Maase talked and I don't even remember what he said - he was a real sleeper. I hope his management skills are better than his speaking skills.
Grant Evans is another winner and he said a lot of good stuff. He talked about Motorola and how they intend to use biometrics in lots of stuff, not just phones and cars. He had a picture of at least 12 to 15 areas in which MOT is involved that they are planning to use Biometrics. Believe me, Motorola is going to be good to us. (I think Comdex will be a very positive event for us, maybe even the turning point.)
One last point. Randy said two years ago IDX was basically a hardware company. Now we are a hardware/software company aiming to become a software/hardware company.
In summary, people were very positive, the technology works, and DISTRIBUTION.
Rick |
