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To: A.L. Reagan who wrote (1548)	3/13/2000 3:01:00 PM
From: jhg_in_kc	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3070

WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE INSP. INKT JUMPS INTO WIRELESS CACHING Inktomi wireless plan expected soon By Mike Tarsala, CBS MarketWatch Last Update: 2:21 PM ET Mar 13, 2000 NewsWatch FOSTER CITY, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Inktomi is expected to announce as early as this week plans to make its flagship Internet caching software -- and possibly other software and services -- available for wireless networks, analysts say. The company this year wants to make all of its products, including its Internet search engine and shopping engine, work with wireless networks. But analysts think Inktomi is set to make an announcement in New York this week to go wireless with its caching software, which garners about 60 percent of Inktomi's (INKT: news, msgs) revenue. "Wireless caching represents a huge opportunity because more people will be accessing the Internet from wireless than wireline in just a few years out," said Peter Ausnit, analyst with Prudential Volpe Technology in San Francisco. "This is a must-do: I'm just glad that they're doing it now. It looks like they're getting the jump." Adapting caching software for wireless could eventually allow network service companies to quickly push out a variety of Web-based services to people on the go, including stock services, online maps and movie listings. Such services likely will be offered in conjunction with network access providers. The announcement -- possibly as early as tomorrow, -- could be to unveil caching software to work with WAP, or the Wireless Applications Protocol. It's used as a standard for running programs on a range of cell phones, personal digital assistants and other small electronics. Foster City, Calif.-based Inktomi is one of the top companies in the caching business. Inktomi's software is used to speed up Web page downloading, making companies' Internet access faster and speeding up corporate networks. The company offers its products mainly to Internet service companies and telecommunications firms. But it also started a push late last year to sell directly to large companies, including Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER: news, msgs) and Sun Microsystems (SUNW: news, msgs). Few companies, if any, offer caching software for wireless networks today, analysts say. But Inktomi executives have been quick to realize the benefits of moving all of the company's software -- especially its bread-and butter product -- to wireless. It's been a topic at the company in recent months, analysts said. "Market estimates say that there are going to be a billion handheld wireless devices by 2002," said Chris DePuy, a hedge fund manager with Bowman Capital Management in New York. "It's a huge market. You're seeing a lot of companies turn their guns from the PC industry to hand-helds. I think it's the biggest no-brainer in the world." Analysts seem to think that going wireless won't be that difficult for Inktomi. The heart of the company's caching software can be made to work across most any type of network. The main complexity is tweaking it to support wireless standards, including WAP. "As wireless goes, the same kinds of bandwidth constraints are going to exist on wireless networks," said David Hilal, analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. in Arlington, Va. It's not clear if Inktomi will make an announcement in conjunction with a network service provider. It's also not clear if Inktomi plans to roll out a service worldwide. Shares of Inktomi added 10 5/16, or 6 percent, to 179 5/8 in Monday trading.