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Technology Stocks : Seagate Technology -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sam who wrote (4347)	12/19/1997 6:06:00 PM
From: Stitch	Respond to of 7841

Sam, <Also, means that DD companies will have to be more on their toes, but that is a good thing for a company that has its act together. > I agree with this observation. In general, whats good for the customer is good for the supplier (that wins). But insofar as inventory visibility is concerned I am not sure I agree with Quantum's comments. Knowing your OEM's inventory is a key element of account control and most (especially SEG) do it well IMO. But then its a hindsight excercise and inventory bubbles like the one we are in don't come from not knowing what your key accounts have on the shelf. It comes from faulty forecasting and strategic thinking. It seems an irony that as the DD guys are in the midst of paying the penalty for making that mistake, practices are changing that puts even more pressure on them not to. I wonder if Quantum's remarks are tantamount to "whistlin while you walk by a graveyard late at night"? I would look for companies that have the resource and determination to shorten the string on response. Marketing, sales, and Ops in a seamless, well oiled megalith. Broad product ranges. Well established relationships up and down the channel. My conlusion is that this scenario favors SEG and QTNM more then it does IBM, Fujitsu, and WDC. This conclusion is born of an assesment of their mfg capabilities, levels of vertical integration, product line coverage, and position on the technology curve. But I wish I knew more about their plans to adjust. For example, do they talk to folks like MS? I would be. I would want to know what the next wave of apps is going to require. What is their capability vis-a-vis on-line access to/from customer base. How do they close the loop with the factorys in Asia? Anyone think I am making too much of this? Best, Stitch