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Technology Stocks : Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bob Eskimo who wrote (10935)	12/15/1997 5:16:00 PM
From: Zoltan!	Respond to of 77400

Daily Trouble Monday, December 15, 1997 : Cabletron and "the strugglings shells" known as 3Com and Bay: Cabletron TKO'd: A flailing Cabletron was knocked out by heavyweight Cisco. fool.com A late 1996 promotional video shows a scrappy boxer labeled "Cabletron" pummeling the heck out of a flabby boxer called "Cisco." Unfortunately for Cabletron, this negative ad did nothing to attract new customers. Concentrating too much on going head-to-head with Cisco rather than sticking to its knitting and building a comprehensive, end-to-end line of network products is the principal reason why Cabletron has been flailing at the air lately. Investors are concerned that the company has under-invested in research and development and acquisitions -- meaning that its product line is not robust enough to compete with industry heavyweight Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) (N) (S) nor with its other arch-rivals, 3Com (Nasdaq: COMS) (N) (S) and Bay Networks (NYSE: BAY) (N) (S). Two quarterly earnings warnings in a row after an unblemished earnings track record since the 1989 initial public offering have absolutely destroyed investor confidence. Given the shape that the company is in, it seems unlikely that it will be back to its fighting weight anytime soon. ........ Although Cabletron has had a number of fat years over the past decade, with number two 3Com and number three Bay Networks reduced to struggling shells by industry titan Cisco Systems, it is hard to imagine a universe where Cabletron starts to command high margins or retakes the technological vanguard. Although a merger with OEM-partner FORE Systems is a real possibility, the company's discredited ATM-to-the-desktop plan isn't playing in Corporate America. Ain't it amazin'? Just imagine what Cisco could do if it were really successful like ASND, BAY and COMS. Did you know that some still maintain that Studebakers were better than the competition? Haven't seen their 1998 models yet, so I'll reserve judgment. Regards