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To: Greg h2o who wrote (41188)	6/5/2003 11:43:58 AM
From: Greg h2o	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42804

SUPERCOMM: Tech executives see hints of a recovery Bill Husted - Staff Thursday, June 5, 2003 When the telecommunications executives at the SuperComm show talk among themselves about the future, they rarely discuss a hot new chip or super-fast data connection. Instead the buzz boils down to this: When will things turn around? No one is talking about a return to the boom days for the technology business. High tech's fall has been even steeper than that of the economy. The SuperComm floor offers those who know the most and care the most about high tech's future --- experts in technology and its marketing. In a viewpoint equally fueled by hope and facts, many see early signs of a recovery. "It feels a good bit better," said Ed Miller, a regional accounts manager for General Electric's power supply division. "We're not seeing as many people as last year at the show, but the quality of the people here seems higher. Our sales are up." SuperComm, which leaves Atlanta after the show closes today, has attracted about 30,000 people. As they ponder whether this is the year of the turnaround, some see signs that it is. "Just look around you," said Jerry Hobson, a data sales engineer at the Verizon booth. "It's been crowded like this all day." At the same booth, regional wireless manager Arthur Tsiropoulous said: "We've seen a lift in activity. Not a hockey-stick climb [flat at the bottom, then shooting straight up] but an increase. We're definitely getting some positive traction." Bryan Glutting is vice president of Atlanta Cable Sales, a vendor of custom-wired cables for the telecom industry. He's seen many of his competitors fold during the past two years. "But the mood is different now," he said. "I've spent a lot of time on the showroom floor, and there's some optimism for the first time in two years." Besides seeing his regular customers from the regional Bells, Glutting said he has seen new faces, too. For the first time in years, new small companies are finding funding and working to gain a foothold in the business. "We're working 16-hour days at the show," he said. "We're seeing companies that we've heard about but never met, and that's a really good sign. "Sure, there are fewer people at this show, but the ones who are here are decision makers. A few years ago I would have to spend two weeks to get in to see the president of a company. But this morning I walked over to a booth and sat right down with the president."