Well, I guess this pretty much explains the recent runup in share price. What's aggravating is trying to get a handle on what this means re revenue projections. I have a call into the company, who knows if they will return it.
From what it appears, NTT-AT is to NTT as Lucent is (was)to ATT, but of course Japanese corporate structure is often pretty convoluted and complicated.
Some things that remain to be answered:
- is Proteon the only company supplying ISDN technology to NTT-AT ?
- How committed are Japanese corporations to ISDN vs. competing technologys ? Ive heard they are big on fibre channel. (I wish some of you really extra-smart people out there would comment on this.)
- When might we expect any revenue contribution from this deal to kick in ? I'm sure it is wishfull thinking to see it show up on this quarters numbers.
From the press release :
About NTT-AT
NTT-AT, with the capability of system integration of leading edge networking technologies, is one of the fastest growing and most powerful subsidiaries of NTT. The company has a high degree of proficiency in the data communications sector utilizing LAN technologies, and now is focusing on the Remote Access market as one of its focus areas.
Dr. Jun Yamagata, vice president and director for NTT-AT's Networking Division Group in Kawasaki city, Japan, said, "We are happy to work with Proteon because the company has demonstrated its ability to build a high quality product for the ISDN marketplace. We have also
been very impressed with the performance of Proteon's standards-based
OpenROUTE(TM) internetworking software. We believe there is a clear demand for this type of product in the Japan marketplace."
Mr. Daniel J. Capone, Jr., Proteon president and chief executive officer, said, "We are very pleased to be working with a key subsidiary of one of the world's largest telecommunications
companies.
We believe that our GlobeTrotter technology is a good complement to the remote access capabilities being developed by NTT-AT. Together, we are delivering a low-cost product that delivers top performance, ease of use, network security and standards- based interoperability. We
look forward to a long and productive relationship." |
