To: slacker711 who wrote (4167 ) 12/13/1999 6:51:00 PM From: Ruffian Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 13582
WSJ-IDC-CDMA> Interdigital Communications Surges 14% On Investor Hopes By JOHNATHAN BURNS NEW YORK -- Interdigital Communications Corp. (IDC) took its second consecutive double-digit gain Monday as investors speculated that another company may be using the telecommunications concern's patented technology. Sometimes referred to as a baby Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), Interdigital completed a two-day run-up that began Friday when the stock jumped 60%. Over the past two days, the King of Prussia, Pa., company has seen its shares soar 83%. The stock was the second most actively traded issue on the American Stock Exchange Monday. It closed at 20 that day, up 2 1/2, or 14.3%, on volume of 5.7 million, compared with a daily average of 598,600. Earlier, shares hit an intraday high of 22, past the previous 52-week ceiling of 18 1/4 set Friday. There was no hard news out, only speculation that another company may be using Interdigital's patented system for use in code division multiple access (CDMA) - a form of digital cellular phone service. Interdigital officials would not comment on those rumors. The patents are already the center of pending lawsuit with Ericsson Telephone Co. (ERICY). Interdigital recently received notice that it received two reexamination certificates on three patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Rip Tilden, Interdigital executive vice president of communications and investor relations, said the company owns 800 patents around the world on CDMA and time division multiple access - a technology used to separate multiple conversations transmitted over the air. Those patents should be worth substantial revenue as the world moves to a third-generation standard for wireless data and voice transmissions, Tilden said. "We do feel we've got pretty good long-term growth prospects," he said. "That seems to have given investors confidence in our long-term potential." - Johnathan Burns; Dow Jones Newswires, 201-938-2020, johnathan.burns@dowjones.com Briefing Book for: ERICY | IDC | S.ERC