here is latest from syd, looks pretty good
Good afternoon to you all. Please find enclosed our update
with respect to SYD. Prior to discussing specific topics, both Sideware
and Agora wish to deal with the issue of company responses to the many
shareholder questions.
Sideware is appreciative of shareholder involvement in the company from
both a financial and informative point of view. As shareholders,
Sideware ackowledges that you have an unequivocal right to ask questions
and receive answers with respect to company activities. In the process
of accomplishing this task, Sideware must also balance two very important
objectives which are as follows:
1] Time
Due to the fact SYD is involved in a highly evolving industry, the
company undergoes many changes in a short period of time. Consequently,
this constant evoloution brings about many new questions from
shareholders. Unfortunately, it is impossible for company principals to
respond to every question posed to them. This is compounded by the fact
that, due to the nature of Sideware's business, most responses only lead
to more questions. Sideware principals are aware of your questions and
will continue to do their best to respond to them. Below, you will be
pleased to hear of a new initiative that will go a long way to further
increase communications with investors on a daily basis. In the
meantime, these corporate update will serve to provide the most
comprehesive picture possible for our shareholders.
2] Confidentiality and Competitors
Apart from time, the second and perhaps largest hurdle to answering
shareholder questions, is confidentiality and trade secrets. Quite
simply, questions can not be answered due to agreements which may be in
place or to avoid releasing too much information which can then be
discovered by our competitors. In these instances, the company has no
choice but to put the interests of the company ahead of the interests of
individual shareholders. We trust that our shareholdes will accept and
respect this fact.
In conclusion, by making these points, both Sideware and Agora hope to
eliminate many of the "cloak and dagger" theories which seem to find
their way on to the Internet. We know that many of you are most
interested in our relationship with IBM/LOTUS and any developments which
may effect this relationship. This update provides further news with
respect to that relationship, however, in the meantime, all shareholders
should know unequivocally that if that relationship were ever to come to
an end, they would be advised promptly. Until then, our corporate
updates represent as complete an update as possible with respect to that
relationship, taking into account #2 above.
For your convenience, we have broken down our updates into the
sub-headings below.
<underline>UPDATE WITH RESPECT TO IBM/LOTUS RELATIONSHIP
</underline> IBM/LOTUS has requested that Sideware further develop Dr.
Bean and have provided the company with support in the form of free
software, hardware and the technical means necessary to become a senior
partner. As such, the relationship is both continuing and progressing
and the company believes that September-October 1998 represents the time
frame in which it's products will be in a form necessary to become a
value-added product in the Domino line.
In the meantime, SYD continues to utilize all the developing and
marketing resources provided to it, including participation in IBM/LOTUS
trade shows. LOTUSPHERE was a prime example in which Sideware was being
actively promoted by IBM/LOTUS to all of thier customers.
<underline>HOT NOTIONS
</underline>As originally planned, our April 1 target to commence Net
Notions and Hot Notions marketing inititiatives was achieved. The
company has commenced with a modest marketing program, the intensity of
which will be increased on a month to month basis and should achieve
maximum levels within the next 6 months. Currently, the company's V.P. of
sales is in Austin, Texas meeting with Sunset Direct and gearing up sales
promotion.
With respect to the Internet, the company's Internet marketing advisor,
Deep Roots Canada, met with the company on Wednesday, April 15 and
provided the following information:
<bold>[OWEN, LET'S DISCUSS WHAT CAME OUT OF YOUR MEETING]
-How many $ being spent
- Where are those $ being spent
- What are the near, medium and long term expectations of those $ i.e.
Traffic and revenues from advertising on Hot Notions by outside
parties.
</bold>We would also like to announce that HOT NOTIONS continues to
evolve into a valuable Internet tool. Specifically, SYD is now
concentrating on evolving HN into a gateway to special interests on the
Internet. In accomplishing this goal, SYD has determined that a
full-time and real-time host will be necessary to moderate the HN
service. A committee has been formed to determine what special
interests will be served specifically i.e. financial and what additional
functions will be useful to those audiences.
[Owen, perhaps we could be a little more specific with respect to the
basis for this decision]
This initiative is intended accomplish two goals. First, establish the
Hot Notions site as a profit centre on it's own and secondly, act as a
real test centre for Hot Notions products and ideas. In the meantime, HN
will continue to operate in it's present capacity and the company will
advise of the complete details when they are necessary.
<underline>TECHWEST INVESTOR RELATIONS SITE
</underline> In an effort to continue improving communications with our
shareholders and other investors, TechWest Group of Companies will
introduce it's own web site in which investors can congregate and discuss
Sideware Systems. In doing so, SYD will actively steer all shareholders
from existing chat forums to the site.
Where this site will differ from the typcial Internet chat forum is as
follows:
A) SYD will provide a full-time moderator that will have the ability to
answer investor questions in real time;
B) SYD will provide all pertinent information necessary for shareholders
to receive complete information as it pertains to the company. Examples
of this include, company data, commentary, links to marketing partners,
links to Internet marketing initiatives, links to new initiatives and
links to IBM/LOTUS;
C) SYD shareholders will be able to utilize HOT NOTIONS in order to
better collaborate with other shareholders and the moderator. To that
end, SYD will provide an archive of information for future reference;
D) SYD will post AGORA updates directly to the site, which investors can
use as a starting point to further discuss and research specific issues;
and
E) SYD will provide regular tours to pertinent sites and hold on-line
discussions for it's shareholders.
Sideware is very pleased with this initiative and trusts that
shareholders will accept it with great enthusiasm. Much like the Hot
Notions site above, the other two objectives of the TechWest site are to
establish another profit centre for the company, as well as, to provide
further showcasing of SYD technology to it's partners.
The company will commence on-line tours as soon as this initiative
commences.
<underline>DR. BEAN
</underline>Sideware wishes to advise that it will be presenting an
advanced version on it's
Dr. Bean product at PC EXPO in New York City. The company is confident
that Dr. Bean will be high-end product for DOMINO MERCHANT, as well as,
NET.COMMERCE, the current leading IBM e-commerce products.
<underline>STOREFRONT
</underline>As stated above, marketing of the storefront has only just
begun. As such, the company does not expect to achieve meaningful
revenues or traffic in the first month of operation. The purpose of the
Deep Roots marketing campaign is to generate traffic and ultimately
sales.
However, in an effort to maximize utility of the storefront when
anticipated traffic does commence, the company wishes to advise that it
is expanding the available product line to include third party products
that are helpful companions to desk top applications, as well as, web
applications.
Currently, the company is involved in meaningful discussions with other
manufacturers and is actively recruiting others. The company will make
announcements as agreements are signed.
<underline>MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
</underline>a) Prairie Dog. The company has attempted to obtain
information regarding prairie dog since it's release, however, there has
been very little detail available to date because the product is in it's
Alpha stage and no printed information is available. As such, the
company can not do much but speculate on the PD product but will provide
the following commentary. We stress this is only conjecture to this
point and that our opinion is based on very little detail and should not
be relied upon.
Having said that, it appears that PD is a domino built system which uses
the Lotus Notes Database, which is only useful in text based
applications. PD appears to facilitate datamining of text in a Lotus
Notes database, along with some form of integrated messaging system for
Domino clients.
As such, it does not impact Sideware's products, which serve completely
different functions. PD appears to be a knowledge based system, whereas
Net Notions is being marketed as a global messaging and chat system.
b) Personal holdings of Owen Jones and Grant Sutherland. The company
advises that both Owen Jones and Grant Sutherland own approximately 3.2
Million shares each.
c) Terms of the Agreement between TechWest and Sideware. Techwest
manages the companies financial affairs, each company has its own
accounts and pays its own expenses. Only Techwest specific expenses are
jointly shared. In essence, each company has to pay it's own way.
There is very little lattitude.
d) Does each current link in the "special interests" group at Hot
Notions represent an advertisement? No, for now links are randomly
chosen.
We trust the above to be satisfactory and we look forward to providing
you with our next update as events develop. In light of the above noted
initiative with respect to a Sideware shareholders site, we will not be
issuing an e-mail address for questions as we plan to provide that
capability directly at the site.
On behalf of the company, we thank-you for your time and wish all of
those celebrating a Happy Easter Weekend.
Regards,
Agora Internet Relations Corp.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP. receives a monthly monetary fee from
Sideware Systems Inc. for the purposes of communicating with Internet
shareholders - both current and prospective - to increase awareness of
and interest in Sideware Systems Inc. AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP
activities are aimed purely at keeping their clients' shareholders and
prospective shareholders informed about their company. These activities
consist of providing investors with previously disclosed factual
information concerning the company, comments from company principals,
copies of material that has been filed with regulatory authorities,
comments prepared by registered brokers or investment dealers and
material published in newspapers, magazines or journals.
AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP does not participate in the maintenance of
an orderly market in their client's securities, nor is required, or
receives an incentive for, the maintenance or achievement of a price or
trading volume for their client's securities at a certain level, for a
specified period of time or by a certain date. AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS
CORP. may, at any time, own shares in the company. |
