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Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Roadkill who wrote (20500)	11/2/1997 1:15:00 PM
From: Gary Korn	Respond to of 61433

I want to repeat that I can see no way that Justice would stop an ASND/COMS deal. I don't know if anyone there even understands RAS. It's not like steel or shoes (fundamental antitrust cases). Furthermore, an ASND/COMS combination would still leave CSCO as the biggest player in the market. That is all that Justice needs to leave well enough alone. Therefore, in the scheme of worries, I would place this issue rather low. But heck, if DOJ wants to reinvigorate its M&A antitrust enforcement program, so much the better. We attorneys have missed that kind of work for a long time. <VBG> Gary Korn

To: Roadkill who wrote (20500)	11/2/1997 6:42:00 PM
From: sepku	Respond to of 61433

>>>The rumored merger of COMS/ASND, the two industry heavy-hitters in RAS, would likely draw more DOJ scrutiny simply because it is easier for the DOJ to derail a proposed merger (check out the Staples debacle) than attack a company that built its own monopoly.<<< I disagree, because a monopoly is a monopoly. Competitors in the RAS market are plentiful: CSCO, NT+SHVA, LU, BAY, CS. All are heavy hitters. Not to mention CSCO has captured about 14% of the market from virtual non-presence in Jan.'96. 60% is not a monopoly in such an environment. It is simply a leader in marketshare, like ASND is currently in that niche. Style Pts.