LU Strategies >> merger possibilities.
Saw this on the Nightly Business Report, interview with Russo of Lucent. link
quote.com
O'BRYON: At Lucent Technologies, you direct company strategy and business development. What is your number one strategy for the
company?
RUSSO: We are very focused on growing globally and growing faster than the market. We are very focused on the hottest segments of the
industry that we're in, optical networking, data networking, software, semiconductors. We are very focused on speed and time to market in
leveraging the incredible
technological capabilities of Bell Laboratories.
O'BRYON: A recent Forbes article says the buzz around Wall Street is which company will Lucent acquire? They've, the rumors have been
Ascend Communications (NASDAQ:ASND), 3Com (NASDAQ:COMS). Any
comments on the acquisition policies?
RUSSO: This wouldn't be an interview if I wasn't asked about Lucent's next acquisition. First of all, we don't have a strategy to acquire. We
have a business strategy and a set of strategies that support that. We have said and I believe have acted in a way that represents acquisitions
are a tactic to support those strategies. We have and will continue to look at what makes sense for us to fill out our capabilities.
O'BRYON: What kind of company makes sense to fill out those capabilities?
RUSSO: We play in the data networking space, the optical networking space, the switching and access markets, the global markets, the
software markets, and we've made acquisitions in many of those. And so it's, I can't say what company. I can only say that we'll look at
companies as they make sense for the
business, for our share owners in the critical strategic spaces that are important for us and the ones that are the fastest growing.
O'BRYON: And also saying they're expecting a multi-billion dollar acquisition the next six months. Are they right?
RUSSO: No comment.
O'BRYON: Has the focus of Lucent Technologies shifted from the telephone instrument to more of the networking services. It seems that you
are really in that marketplace of competitive aspects toward companies like Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO).
RUSSO: You are absolutely right about an, not necessarily a shift of focus, but an expansion of our focus. Our vision of communications
network is really much broader than just voice or data. It has to do with wired networks and wireless networks and optical networks and
software and services and we believe that
Lucent plays like no one else.
O'BRYON: Are there particular countries however that seem to be hot prospects for you in terms of potential growth?
RUSSO: Our growth opportunities are really very balanced. Our, we came late to the global market and so, you know, we are a $30 billion
company. We think the market globally will be a $650 billion market by the year 2001 and that represents tremendous, what we call head
room for growth for us.
O'BRYON: Thank you very much, Pat Russo, Lucent Technologies. |
