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Technology Stocks : TAVA Technologies (TAVA-NASDAQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Mansfield who wrote (9700)	1/28/1998 3:58:00 PM
From: TokyoMex	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 31646

Just talked to CFO.. Hes outlook is very positive.. I also commented on Scotts improvement ... they are going to keep Scott but will have a lengthy discussion on new TPRO IR strategy,, Scott should be landing in Denver just by now.. There will be string of good newses very soon ... Joe TPRO

To: John Mansfield who wrote (9700)	1/28/1998 4:35:00 PM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 31646

Some thoughts on the indirect TAVA distribution channels The last couple of days I have tried to make for myself a broader picture of TAVA, it's product and the marketing and sales strategies. I have posed a number of questions to myself; of which I hope and think some of them will be answered on the coming SH Meeting. John --------- There are two main distribution channels for the PlantY2Kone product and services: - direct. Mainly at large customers. First announced customer is BMY. - indirect. Known channel is Wonderware. The strategies for these channels are different: 1. direct: customer expects more consultancy done directly by TPRO; more difficult (but not at all impossible) to carry out consulting with third parties. 2. indirect: LEVERAGING is key here. Wonderware is company with an (almost?) exclusive indirect approach. It is usual to use a 'layered' approach: Wonderware (WW) -> distributors -> resellers. Typically, there are many resellers for a single distributor. The predominant division between distributors will be geographical. What are some of the critical succes factors for succes (i.e. dominant market share; becoming market leader) for Wonderware: - Leverage other channels/marketing/PR systems. Very significant is the unique partnership that they have with Microsoft (see other post). - Quality system: Set up a comprehensive qualification program for all aspects of the business. This is the only way to control quality; therefore the image of the product; therefore the long-term succes of Wonderware. From their website; they clearly have set up qualification programs (resellers, training, system integration - well I have to check at their site again). But you will get the point. - Preventing resellers to fight over turf (i.e. too many resellers in a region that is too small). I suppose that Wonderware succeeds in this; but it is not clear how. Other remarks: - Significant international presence. Indirect sales channels are the way to go here. Local differences on the factory floor are simply too different from one country to another; also the costs of setting up complete direct sales forces are too big to be succesful. - WW needs a Y2K program/solution as a unique selling proposition to enlarge their market share. They will do this mainly by replacing older non-compliant systems. Conjecture: Y2K solutions is not core business for WW; they also did not have anything ready when they first met the TAVA company. So that is a reason why they partnered with TAVA. Now it is interesting to see how TAVA fits into all this. I hope much will become clear during the stock holders meeting. The following questions can be posed: - Can TAVA 'piggy-back' on the sales/marketing channels of WW? - Can TAVA use their mechanisms of certifying distributors/resellers/ISV's for their own products also? This is very important: they need certified resellers; trainers; consultants; project managers etc. That is the best way to leverage the planty2kone potential. - Can TAVA use the WW channels to distribute TAVA's y2k training? Some indication of this can be seen on the web site of a distributor (see one of my posts on WW/TAVA). I think and hope that the planty2kone session is part of a 'standard' FactorySuite 1 day presentation; the format of which is distributed through the entire distributor/reseller channel, both in the US and internationally. - Will TAVA be included in some way in the joint marketing done by WW+Microsoft? Increasingly, companies will be viewed/judged on their y2k-'face' (i.e. complete and accurate information on y2k-status of products to customers; is the company at the front or not etc). Effectibely, TAVA IS the y2k-face of WW. - Can TAVA use the international channels of WW to enlarge their own sales potential?: again distribution of product, standard training etc.

To: John Mansfield who wrote (9700)	1/29/1998 2:29:00 AM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 31646

UK unites to beat bug:': Greater focus on embedded systems' computerweekly.co.uk 'UK unites to beat bug Ian Mitchell Infrastructure bodies and the Government are joining forces to help the UK battle through the millennium date crisis. At a ground-breaking meeting in early January, project managers in energy, healthcare, banking and telecoms issued a five-point plan which called on the Government to co-ordinate the national response. This week the Government broadly accepted the group's request, making the UK the first country in the world to adopt an integrated infrastructure policy. The meeting was arranged by Martyn Emery of Corporation 2000 and hosted by Graham Reid, head of BT's millennium programme. It was attended by 17 project leaders from 15 organisations, including Shell, Railtrack, Nuclear Electric and Action 2000. Their five-point agenda includes a demand for a government minister to co-ordinate planning and testing among the infrastructure bodies, spanning public and private sectors. <snip> The five-point plan 1.Minister with responsibility for infrastructure 2.Industrial forum to co-ordinate action on infrastructure 3.Greater focus on embedded systems 4.Contingency planning through 1998/99 and 1999/2000 5.Communication plan Meeting of the great and the good Organisations represented at the first national infrastructure meeting: Action 2000; BBC; BT; Department of Social Security; Electricity Association; Local Government Management Board; Marks & Spencer; Metropolitan Police; NHS Executive; Nuclear Electric; Post Office; Railtrack; Shell Oil; Southern Water; Transco Gas. '