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Pastimes : ASK Vendit Off Topic Questions -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Boplicity who wrote (12091)	5/4/2000 7:22:00 AM
From: Vendit™	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 19374

Check out Mr Nasdaq's stochastic indicator. 208.240.76.45

To: Boplicity who wrote (12091)	5/4/2000 8:42:00 AM
From: Guardian	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19374

NTAP in smartportfolio today--hope this helps - earnings on 5/18 Network Appliance (Nasdaq:NTAP) --> Company Background To handle their growing data storage needs, enterprises and other organizations are increasingly looking for a simple and efficient solution; Network Appliance has the answer. NTAP was the first to introduce the concept of network-attached server appliances that are specifically designed for data storage needs. In other words, instead of having the full-fledged functionality of an application server, these streamlined appliances contain only the specific hardware and software components necessary to enable data storage. These devices are then attached to the network rather than being directly attached to the server. This is similar to putting another computer on a corporate LAN, only in this case, the computer is a specialized storage device. Because of their specialized nature, network-attached storage appliances are cheaper, more reliable and more efficient solutions to data storage. NTAP has refined this concept since its introduction in 1992 by developing its own operating system for these devices as well as a specialized file layout protocol. These software developments, in combination with the specialized hardware, enable these devices to work in virtually any environment, including UNIX, NT as well as for the Web. NTAP has leveraged its expertise in the network-attached space and developed another network-attached device that is specifically designed for caching of Internet content. The process of caching involves creating a copy of content that appears elsewhere on the Web and storing that content closer to the actual user. This enables companies to save on bandwidth costs and allows users quicker access to the content because the content is stored locally, thus removing the necessity to traverse the Internet to get that content. --> Business Analysis NTAP has been public for quite some time: it's public debut occurred back on November 21, 1995. Since its IPO, NTAP has split its shares 6 times and currently sports a market cap of approximately $20.3 billion at its current stock price of 66 3/4 (as of close of trading on May 3, 2000). NTAP has achieved most of its gains in the last year, however, as the Internet craze has driven up the price of this profitable Internet infrastructure play. On the financial side, NTAP has continued to post some incredible revenue numbers, with 19 consecutive quarters of 70% year-over- year growth. Its most recent financials, released on February 15, 2000, show that NTAP continues to move on a rapidly growing profitable track. Revenue for the quarter jumped 100% over the same year-ago period, while earnings per share jumped 90% over the same period. Gross margins were 59.4%, slightly higher than the 59.2% posted in the year-ago period. This indicates that NTAP is not currently facing any significant pricing pressure on its core products. The next earnings release is scheduled for May 18, 2000. On the product side, NTAP continues to refine its existing products and introducing new ones. Over the past several months, NTAP has released an appliance specifically dedicated towards streaming media applications, another appliance that targets the ISP market as well as software applications that assist enterprises in managing their server appliances. --> Smart!Analysis NTAP was the first-mover in the network-attached appliance storage space and has defined the industry to date. The growing demand in both the enterprise and ISP markets will provide a solid opportunity for NTAP to continue to grow its revenues. As more organizations take to the Web, they will be looking for the least costly, least complicated ways of setting up shop. The specialized server appliances that NTAP makes are the perfect solution for this need. NTAP will likely continue to add value to its hardware offering by developing software to expand the functionality and compatibility with other devices. One example of this is NTAP's recent focus on appliances that are specialized for database applications such as Oracle and Sybase. While this might not immediately contribute any significant revenue, going forward, it will likely grow in importance rather quickly as most e-commerce systems require heavy database integration and usage. Unlike most Internet companies, NTAP has both the absolute revenue and growth rates to back up its valuation. The upcoming quarters will likely see NTAP continue to deliver impressive profit growth numbers as well. The maturity of the company has positioned it to focus on profitability instead of massive investments in marketing, sales and R&D to jump-start the business -- a rare find in today's tech landscape. NTAP is currently trading 50% off its after the recent tech-sector pullback. The SmartPortfolio.Com team sees the current pullback as an opportunity for investors to accumulate a position in this profitable, fast growing tech-giant. To change your service options or cancel your subscription, please visit our customer service section at smartportfolio.com.