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Microcap & Penny Stocks : Globalstar Telecommunications Limited GSAT -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Parkinson who wrote (10636)	3/8/2000 5:44:00 PM
From: K_Meister	Respond to of 29987

My sense from today's conference call and some personal anecdotal experience is that GSTRF management is determined to make satellite telephony successful. Bernie appeared to be in touch with the situation on the ground, so to speak. I mean, he clearly understands issues faced by different service providers and manufacturers as well as the different initiatives necessary to make the launch successful in different countries. Moreover, he stressed - probably because he has no choice, if I want to be cynical - the ability to "solve problems" as and when they arise. Interestingly, he seemed to be acutely aware of the need to create shareholder value, especially in light of some pointed remarks by some disgruntled investors. Maybe this is because GSTRF has the potential to be the crowing potential of his career; he is after all, some 70 years old. Or maybe it stems from his having invested some $20 million of his own money into the venture; he has purchased about a million shares in the open market, I think. Either way, his determination to make it work is there. [I would recommend people to listen to the CC replay to get a sense for themselves. I don't think it would be useful to repeat what the specifics of what was said.] On a personal basis, I found it very amusing (and useful) that the "supervisor" of the customer service/sales agent for Canada was "deeply concerned" that I was unhappy with the Toronto-based dealers' response. [Remember, I had posted earlier that none of the Toronto dealers carried a working demo, and that all except one had expressed no interest in ordering a demo because of the product being "very expensive" with "limited consumer interest".] Well, I was assured by the supervisor - who claims to report directly to the person responsible for GSTRF distribution and marketing in Canada - that the Company "was determined not to repeat IRIDF's mistakes" and that he "greatly appreciated my calling him" and that "he would immediately report the matter to his boss". He further stated that the Company had focused lot of energy in selection and training of dealers, and that if some were not up to snuff, they would be dropped immediately. He further assured me that he would contact a dealer who had a demo and I should expect to hear from him the next day. Not only did I hear from such a dealer the next day as promised, the dealer even offered - twice - to drive down to downtown Toronto to personally show me the phone. Best of all, I got a call from the same "supervisor" later that day to inquire if I had heard from a dealer and if I was satisfied with the response. And of course, he again apologized for my earlier dealer experience. Folks, none of this may amount to anything if the Merrill Lynch analyst is right in his assertion that there is no market for MSS. However, I am tempted to believe that given the right technology [CDMA], the right target markets [developing countries and vertical markets], the right distribution channels [established local cellular providers], and the right product positioning [extension of cellular], MANAGEMENT'S DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED should at least give them a 50% chance of success. KMesiter