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Technology Stocks : The New QLogic (ANCR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Steve Scribe who wrote (12149)	11/2/1997 10:23:00 AM
From: George Dawson	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 29386

Steve, There are a few problems with your scenario. 1. Some of Ancor's competitors are much more aggressive and have more cash to be aggressive with. A good example is Sun. Their initial storage offering is a good example, as well as their marketing style and claims to be the preeminent FC storage company. I have no doubt that we will see another big Sun demonstration and storage record using an FC fabric. It would not surprise me to see the switch manufacturer's name left out. You certainly don't hear that Ancor's switch was central to the first FC storage that they shipped. As it is they are currently aggressively trying to lock up the low to mid end market. To counter this, Ancor needs to partner with a RAID manufacturer so they can offer a turnkey storage system. This is especially true if they want to sell to companies who don't have much networking expertise on site. 2. We haven't heard much from Brocade lately, but if you read their latest Silkworm page, they are apparently trying to develop different ways to connect their switches - build multistage configurations. The rumor about farming out their FC-AL development to LSI is unconfirmed, but they have to be working on it to stay competitive. The question is - what happens if the Silkworm implements these changes or to our horror, leapfrogs to a 2 gig switch while the OEMS are being considered? Look at how long the Sun decision is being out off since the MKII came on the scene. Remember how several Ancor detractors told us about how the Silkworm had the Sun deal locked up, and that it would have been announced by now? Can Ancor, given their current cash situation tolerate these delays? 3. The explanation about "product cycles" just doesn't fly for me. It apparently wasn't a factor with GeoQuest, when they went out to an oil company and replaced their ATM LAN with Ancor switches in *8 hours*. That is the kind of product cycle I want. 4. Leeza Rodriguez' post suggested to me that Ancor insiders may have an additional interest in the new policy of "underpromise, overdeliver" - namely they can pick up more stock for less money. The other competing interest that I have mentioned before is the interest Ancor competitors have in seeing them fail. They have a unique product and patent. I have no doubt that if Ancor failed, you would see someone mass producing and marketing their switches under a different name. For me this is a horse race, Ancor needs some cash flow from OEMS as soon as possible. I don't want another Reg D and dilution.

To: Steve Scribe who wrote (12149)	11/2/1997 11:04:00 PM
From: WhoLovesYa	Respond to of 29386

<<Stop counting the first few drops of rain when a drenching thunderstorm is going to hit next year.>> Unfortunately, our buckets will be rusted through on the bottom when the drenching comes. -GJ

To: Steve Scribe who wrote (12149)	11/4/1997 1:47:00 AM
From: Kerry Lee	Respond to of 29386

<<Why is everyone so hung up on the fact that Ancor did 3.4M instead of say 4.2M in the 3rd qtr or whether 4th qtr will be say 3M or 4M. Looking at the big picture I say who cares? Right now Ancor has approx. 6 to 12 potential MKII storage OEM's worth between 10M and 30M EACH PER YEAR with even more OEM candidates emerging over the next couple of years. That is what this board should be concerned with. My optimism regarding these OEM's has not changed one bit. The stock is a STEAL at $6. Wake up and smell the coffee everybody and look at the big picture. Stop counting the first few drops of rain when a drenching thunderstorm is going to hit next year.>> Steve, your words will prove prophetic. I wonder how many people predicted that Metricom ( MCOM )would move from $5-6 just 8 weeks ago to the $14-15 range where it is today? Do the following results/fundamentals justify a $200 million market cap for MCOM ?? LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 1997--Metricom, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCOM) today announced results for its third quarter ended Sept. 30, 1997. Metricom reported revenues of $3.1 million for the third quarter, up from $1.3 million for the same period in 1996. The company reported a net loss for the third quarter of $12.8 million, or $.94 per share, compared to a net loss of $10.8 million, or $.80 per share for the same period last year. For the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 1997, revenues totaled $9.7 million, up from $5.6 million for the same period in 1996. Net loss for the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 1997 was $42.7 million, or $3.14 per share, compared to a net loss of $26.3 million, or $1.97 per share for the same period last year. "During the third quarter we made significant progress toward our next generation ISDN-speed network, and have demonstrated the technology in our engineering lab," said Metricom's president, Don Wood. "Metricom currently offers the highest speed, portable wireless data network available, and the progress we have made on our next-generation network will enable us to maintain this position into the future. In addition, our progress contributed to the strategic interest expressed by Paul Allen through his pending investment. The entire Metricom team is enthusiastic about the completion and commercialization of our faster-speed network, and we are looking forward to Mr. Allen's increased involvement. "In the third quarter, we continued to add subscribers in our three metropolitan markets where we are the leading portable wireless data provider. We also began to see our customer base shift from rental modems, with monthly subscription terms, to purchased modems, with annual subscription terms. This is a significant and very positive development in the market acceptance of our service." This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including those described in Metricom's 1996 Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Metricom Metricom, Inc. is the leading provider of wide-area, portable wireless data services. The company's Ricochet Products and Services division, headquartered in Los Gatos, provides portable and desktop computer users with high-performance, cost-effective wireless access to the Internet, private intranets, local-area networks, e-mail, real-time transactions such as stock trading, and other online services such as America Online. Ricochet service is currently available in the greater San Francisco Bay, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas; on several university and corporate campuses; and at eleven major airports throughout the United States. Metricom's Industrial Communications division provides both private networks and communications services to the electric, gas, oil and water industries. For more information, call 1-800/ Go-Wireless or visit Metricom's Web site at metricom.com . Note to Editors: Metricom and Ricochet are registered trademarks of Metricom, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.