Tim -
Re: SyQuest's "World Leader" status
Many articles in trade magazines are basically slightly altered press releases. The press releases, in turn, are put out by the companies themselves. SyQuest, in every one of its own press releases, says "SyQuest Technology, Inc. is the leader in cartridge hard drive storage technology."
It's difficult to say who's the leader in the technology, but if SyQuest management wants to claim the position, no one can stop them.
If you go back to the 80's, when removable cartridge disk drives hit the market, you will find both Iomega, with its Bernoulli Box products, and SyQuest. I really don't know which came first.
I don't think SyQuest can claim to be a market leader, though, since they have been playing catch-up to Iomega for the last three years. Over that period SyQuest sales have been less than a tenth of Iomega's.
The SyQuest brand name is worth something, certainly. But if you add up all the outstanding shares, then consider their other debts, it's hard to see how any company could come up with a buyout figure that would make current shareholders happy. Even the ones who bought in recently at less than fifty cents a share.
- Allen |
