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Technology Stocks : General Magic -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thotdoc who wrote (8119)	2/26/2000 9:17:00 AM
From: Wayne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10081

That was a very good post. A key issue is your comment "So in summary, IMHO the only thing that differentiates GMI from every other company that will enter VR is its agent technology. And that is HUGE if they have patents that allow them to control the use of agents in some meaningful way, and they are willing to push people that unlawfully use their patents" I was wondering if you had any perspective on the status of their patents?

To: Thotdoc who wrote (8119)	2/26/2000 1:59:00 PM
From: dgurgel	Respond to of 10081

You could be right. And I agree that their agent technology is a sleeper, I am just not sure that it can be awakened. I do not see the staffing and financing necessary to continue the fundamental development work (Markman's background, I believe) that was at the heart of GMGC from 1991 - 1998. GMGC no longer seems to be selling the building blocks to others; but rather, in bringing to market Portico and MyTalk, seems to have integrated the voice components of others into a retail product. When GMGC was a development company during the Magic Cap days, they offered a developer's kit (I have one) for their technology. Examine their web site now, I find no suggestion at all that they are looking to license basic voice technology in the manner of Nuance, L&H, Fonix, etc. I am sure you know that the agent work goes way back (at least as far back as 1993). They have some intellectual capital there, but don't forget that their early efforts predated the web and the latest concepts such as XML. It's tough for a small company to be both a youthful, retail MyTalk service on the college campus and a PARC in the back room. After the conference call, the debate on GMGC will change. GMGC has released nothing of substance since November except the Juno deal. That deal should have lifted the stock by a $1 or two but was met with a yawn and then a decline. If there is a surprise on March 8 I think it will be news of a buyout. That could explain the decline in price and volume. When you do the CC questions, I hope you will ask the following: "In the last half of 1999 you announced via your web site the loss of the VPs for engineering, technology, and operations. Have these positions been filled?"