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Technology Stocks : VALENCE TECHNOLOGY (VLNC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Robert Cohen who wrote (19582)	5/9/2000 9:08:00 AM
From: Dennis V.	Respond to of 27311

Link to Nov 11,'99 PR: valence.com

To: Robert Cohen who wrote (19582)	5/9/2000 9:54:00 AM
From: geep	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27311

Thanks Robert * 11-11-99 announcement stated "This order, which represents approximately three months of customer requirements , is for over $2.0 million , including engineering setup charges. Further orders from Moltech will be based on performance and customer demand" * 02-28-00 VLNC announces they are beginning commercial shipments of lipoly batteries to this order. I guess the customer is satisfied with the batteries - read: "follow - on order".

To: Robert Cohen who wrote (19582)	5/11/2000 10:10:00 AM
From: Robert Cohen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27311

The question is "who are the buyers?" Arthur Zaczkiewicz Toshiba America Electronics Components Inc. is ramping production of its recently introduced advanced lithium-polymer batteries. Rich Russ, business development manager of batteries and LCDs at the Irvine, Calif., company, said the focus of TAEC's investments this year is on adding capacity for the new devices. It may be coming just in time as the industry races to meet growing demand for rechargeables that feed the wireless, notebook, and portable markets. "Most of the industry is running at or near capacity, so we continue to add capacity as do our competitors," Russ said. Although Russ did not reveal how much capacity is being added, he said the company is shipping about 1 million advanced lithium-polymer cells each month, "and it will be many times that by the end of next year." Sales volumes have been steadily increasing, Russ said, adding that year-over-year growth in battery sales at TAEC was 28% in 1999. The company did not disclose specific revenue figures. Russ added that pricing pressures experienced in early 1999 have eased, and products are on allocation. "It's been healthy. We're running at capacity across the board, in all cell sizes," he said. Toshiba Corp. entered the U.S. disposable-battery market in the 1960s via a joint venture with Rayovac Corp. By 1990, the company began testing rechargeable nickel-metal/hydride cells before shipping them a year later. In the past few years, as demand for lithium-ion products has grown, the company has stepped up production. OEMs have been designing in lithium-ion batteries in place of nickel-metal/hydride cells. Lithium-ion offers longer run times, but there are some flaws, such as swelling, Russ said. As a result, most of TAEC's energy has been spent on developing advanced polymer-lithium designs, which are smaller, safer than lithium-ion products, and don't swell. TAEC's greatest challenge is to align itself with key customers as the market tightens up, especially if customers are put on allocation. "You have to try and pick your partners in the industry who are going in the same direction you are," Russ said. That often results in working with customers early on in the design cycle. TAEC's engineers are partnering with customers that are designing end products two to three years from market introduction. "We're driving toward more high-tech components for the next generation of cell phones and notebook computers," Russ said. The emerging trend is for smaller, thinner cells that also have greater capacity. ebnonline.com Copyright c 2000 CMP Media Inc. By Arthur Zaczkiewicz