To: Alan Hume who wrote (137 ) 2/17/2000 5:58:00 PM From: Snowshoe Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 162
From Briefing.com... 14:58 ET ****** Nx Networks (NTRX) 29 9/16 +2 13/16: This one is still flying under the radar screen of most Wall Street analysts but is gaining recognition. Nx Networks is the result of an August 1999 merger between telephony technology company, NETRIX and router software developer, OpenROUTE Networks. The company specializes in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Virtual Private Networking (VPN), a small, but rapidly growing market. VoIP technology divides a voice call into information "packets," then reassembles it when it arrives at the destination, allowing for less expensive telecommunications. Only two firms that we're aware of cover NTRX, and one, Pacific Growth Equities, just launched coverage today with a BUY rating and $45 price target; the other, Kaufman Bros., launched coverage in April with a BUY then upgraded to a STRONG BUY in July. Pacific Growth estimates the market for VoIP/VPNs at $350 mln in 1999 and predicts 271% market growth to $1.3 bln by 2003. That's a very conservative estimate when you consider that Ovum Research predicts a market size of $60 bln internationally and $29 bln in the US by 2005. VoIP has received attention lately as a result of strong IPOs from Net2Phone (NTOP) and iBasis (IBAS) and announcements from some big telcos like Qwest (Q) and AT&T (T) as well as equipment makers such as Nortel (NT), Cisco (CSCO) and Lucent (LU) that they are investing heavily in seeing IP telephony go mainstream. Netrix and OpenROUTE have both been solid technological companies for years, but didn't catch investors' attention until November when the stock began its steady climb from sub $5 levels to its January 20 high of 29 3/4. That all-time high is in danger of being surpassed today, and looking forward, as the company returns to profitability (expected this quarter) and more Wall Street analysts catch wind of NTRX's contracts with Intel (INTC) and AT&T (T), you may see NTRX start to show up on those aforementioned radar screens. - MG