Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : INPR - Inprise to Borland (BORL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maher Sid-Ahmed who wrote (13)	4/30/1998 8:06:00 PM
From: David Miller	Respond to of 5102

>>I think Del invents new ways to hamper stock performance.<< Del is a long-term strategy person, and financially astute. When you look at the whole thing from his perspective, there is a method of sorts, and a consistency of approach. This is why he could care less about short term stock price issues, concentrating instead on the broad sweep of history. He knows that the fuss over a name change will die down pretty quickly, because it is an irrelevancy. There is an equal argument for and against. Crappy names - even ones with the baggage that the old Borlanders seem eager to shed - haven't prevented good products from selling, nor have great names caused sales on their own. He also knows that one-time charges are the most appropriate financial safety-valve during any transition period, and he will undoubtedly continue to use this avenue for as long as he can get away with it. This quarter will see a few mill. tucked away under the heading "name change", next quarter or the one after will have the next acquisition, and so on. Until they all come to the end of the rebuilding, and have to deliver a return on their new asset. To achieve this, he needs better advice from his marketing people on what exactly customers are talking about and doing. This is a relatively new market for everybody, but in the form Borland has "discovered", it is already three years old or so. Borland has to look at the mindshare that companies like BEA and Iona have already achieved, and at the customer control exerted by companies such as Oracle and Sybase. In this arena, Borland is the latecomer, and latecomers have to bring something new to the table. Finally a quick word on the Professional Services strategy. It shows the muddled thinking that they demonstrate in all their channel activities - they want their cake, and to eat it too. This move sends signals to otherwise potential business partners that Inprise, like Borland before it, pays only lip service to a channel strategy. Until and unless they get a mindset that considers "what can I do for you" as well as "what can you do for me", they will always have a second-class channel capability. While the new company continues to confuse style and substance, they will have a tough time of it. Fortunately for them, the market is still in considerable flux, which gives them at least a window of opportunity. It will be fascinating to see if they can take it. Because if they do, Del Yocam's name will be written all over it - "all my own work, so there!".