All: The following text was cut & pasted from an email I received from Ron Bishop, President of CSGI. It contains the answers to several of the questions that were presented to him at the stockholders' meeting I attended a couple of weeks ago. Other than taking quite a bit of time to reformat the text into SI freeform format, and correct a couple of typos, it is exactly as I received it. No textual editing was done.
Ron is to be commended for taking the time to respond to these questions.
TED
***************************
Ted, below are the answers to many of the questions. Some of the questions are not going to be answered because to do so would be giving out inside information. And some are not going to be answered because they do not deserve an answer.
1) What languages are supported and when will additional ones be added?
ANSWER:Here is everything we support:
IBM(DOS/MVS) : MVS/ESA,DOS/VSE, COBOL 85, COBOL 74, VSAM, CICS, IDMS, DB2, IMS
HONEYWELL/BULL: COBOL, IDS I/II, JCL, FLAT FILES, TP 8, DMIV, TSM
HEWLETT PACKARD 3000: COBOL, MOE/XL, IMAGE
UNISYS(1100/2200): COBOL, ECL, TIPS, FLAT FILES, DMS 2200
DIGITAL (open VMS): COBOL, CONTROL LANG, FLAT FILES
UNIX: COBOL (MF), SHELL SCRIPTS
We expect to support PL1 in Q1 98
2) What does the remediation tool run on?
ANSWER: Our ConSyGen runs on standard Sun hardware, is written in C, and runs against a standard Oracle database. We have recently expanded processing capacity 10 fold by adding faster hardware. Using our remote Conversion Centers (Singapore, Ottawa), we can off load processing if need be. And we can just add additional Sun computers as our volume increases.
3) Does CSGI really consider ALYD to be a competitor?
ANSWER: Of course ALYD is a competitor. Anyone who makes code compliant for the year 2000 is a competitor. That is why I stated at the stockholders meeting that some of of biggest competitors are those clients who are purchasing a toolset from the likes of Viasoft and making an attempt to do the y2k corrections themselves.
4) What does CSGI management think of Bemer and Vertex 2000?
ANSWER: We have not taken the time to do a detailed analysis so it would not be proper to make a comment.
5) Questions about comments on the web by competitors and SI individuals.
ANSWER: It would be inappropriate to spend the time in verbal discussions with individuals on the web. We do not pay anyone to hype our company on the web. We will prove to the world that Consygen has an outstanding toolset through performance.
6) Does Consygen condone such behavior?
ANSWER: No we do not condone such effort, but there is little we can do short of getting into ongoing web discussions. Consygen will not conduct campaigns to put down any specific companies. We will just continue to promote what we have and what we can provide.
7) Do they or have they ever paid anyone to hype their stock on the internet? What about Shawn Murphy, Steve Sprunger, etc?
ANSWER: Again, we pay no one to hype our stock on the web. Our PR agency (Janis-Elliot Jacobson 312-943-1100) does not participate in web discussions.
8) Do they read SI and do they know all the strange things that people are saying about them?
ANSWER: We do not read SI on a regular basis. However, there are lots of people who are quick to let us know when strange things have been said about us. Again, we are going to run an honest and moral operation and let performance do the talking.
9) How do they compare their toolset to Zitl?
ANSWER: We have not done a detailed analysis of any Y2k company. We will continue to promote our services (date expansion or windowing) on IBM, DEC, H-P, UNISYS, HONEYWELL/BULL,and all UNIX.
10) Did they ever apply for NASDAQ listing?
ANSWER: Yes we have applied for NASDAQ Small Cap listing. We are presently traded on OTC as CSGI. As to when we will get listed, we have no way of knowing. We have filed all the papers necessary and now it is a waiting game.
11) How much code do you expect to get from Agiss?
ANSWER: It would be impossible to know the answer to that question. Agiss is one of our teaming partners. We have agreed to locate a Conversion Center in their facilities. So I am sure that we will get code from them as they receive contracts.
12) Why is the stock price going straight down when they have supposed contracts?
ANSWER: I think we are suffering the same problem as many other y2k companies, ie few contracts being awarded. It is our feeling this is because 1) many companies (and government) currently do not have budgets approved to release contracts (we expect this to change in early 1998), 2) many companies have not really accepted that there is a y2k problem, 3) we've been told by some that they will start to assess the problem in early 1998, and 4) some are attempting to do it themselves (We have talked to some in this category who are telling us that they are having many problems doing it themselves ........ we hope to eventually receive some of this business).
13) When will Motorola finish testing their code?
ANSWER: We do not have an answer to that question. It is their responsibility. When we committed to do these 2 projects, there was no committment by Motorola as to when they will finish their testing. Nor was their any committment by Motorola to give additional contracts. As the press release stated, we hope we can receive some paying contracts from Motorola after the successful completion and successful testing of these 2 projects.
14) When will we see another contract announcement?
ANSWER: Cannot answer because to do so would be giving out inside information.
15) Is CSGI talking to banks, local or state government, fortune 50 companies,etc?
ANSWER: As are most y2k companies, we are talking to many people. I cannot give any more details as that would be inside information.
16) What is your burn rate?
ANSWER: At the present time, our annual burn rate is between $4M and $5Mper year. |
