Konrad,
Didn't get back to your question immediately as this discussion could turn out to be a "loaded" one. Let's just try to take iit in bit-sizes:
1. My original remarks re. the troika were made in the context of high tech/computing in general, enterprise as well as SOHO/home PC.
2. Cisco is not a stand-alone company. Rather, it should be viewed as "Cisco and the 7 dwarfs" (a phrase borrowed from others). In this loosely defined universe,there is no shortage of remote access solutions. For example, Combinet, a subsidiary it acquired less than 2 years ago, is a pure play in ISDN (having 28% of the market share at the time) and a formidable competitor of ASND. On the modem-chip front, one of the peripheral dwarfs (and a competitor of USRX), Microcom (MNPI), is now a co-manufacturer/developer of ROK 56K modems.
Based on recent announcements by ROK/LU/MOT/MNPI/CSCO, these companies have banded together and ready to give USRX (and now COMS) its run for the money. BAY, after a carefully measured silence, has also joined this camp. USRX must have been truly scared, IMO.
Intel, if it so wishes, could gain access to much of the technologies and manufacturing resources from the above list, without forming a rigid alliance with companies such as ROK. I would bet you $10 that a direct INTC-ROK would not happen.
Ibexx |
