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Technology Stocks : Siebel Systems (SEBL) - strong buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: still learning who wrote (1529)	5/15/1998 2:48:00 PM
From: Melissa McAuliffe	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6974

still learning, Get your facts straight. I'm not the one who started this discussion. All I'm doing is offering a different perspective so that less informed readers and lurkers on this thread can at least hear two sides to the story. I was once a less informed reader of this thread and stayed away from this stock based on the negativity on this thread which existed then and still continues. It's typically a sign of weakness when you have to knock your competition. You don't see me over on the vntv threading throwing up any and all negatives I can possibly think of about vntv. I don't have a problem with vntv and if I did I wouldn't do it. There are any number of naysayers on this thread who are not approaching this whole issue objectively because there is simply too much emotion involved. I don't see why there can't be room for both companies anyway. It isn't like it's a slowing market at this point. I also think it's more than wanting to see vntv succeed. They want to see sebl fail. And that is NOT objectivity. But this is free speechs o they are entitled to offer their opinions as are we all. So if you think I'm going to cut anything you're sadly mistaken!!!

To: still learning who wrote (1529)	5/15/1998 2:49:00 PM
From: Trader Dave	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6974

Is anyone on the thread around that heard Tom's response to the question about his 100% referencability at the recent conference (I think on Tuesday) when he was standing next to Mary Coleman of Precept/Cisco? I heard he was better than Clinton talking about Lewinsky. Vantive may not have 100% satisfaction, but they do have an open reference policy. Software companies can and do lose customers, but Cisco was featured in dozens of places on sebl's website, including the customer list, customer testimonial letters, references list and a feature section called Siebel@work. The word "cisco" has been completely deleted from the site. (Steve, thanks for the info, I was able to compare to my old printout of the sebl site, very interesting.) Lucent has also been deleted as a reference, but my understanding is that this failed implementation was more Lucent's fault since they tried to go live with sebl with too many people too quickly. Sebl has installed roughly 25k + seats and has a much larger number contracted and waiting to be implemented (70k). Unfortunately, they've recognized the vast majority of the revenue from the uninstalled seats. My concern, is that if cisco wants their money back, and a number of implementations are not going so well, it might call into question the revenue already recognized. That is offset by the CEO and CFO background history of extraordinary financial conservatism. There's never been swap accounting or anything like that. (sarcasm) I'm not short sebl, since I'm anticipating a happy spin fest on the merger next week. however, I'd like to quote a sell side analyst that currently has a "strong buy" on sebl stock. He mentioned it privately, since Tom has a habit of calling sell side analysts at home and hassling them if they say good things about competitors. "When Siebel hits the wall, there won't be skidmarks." (Notice a "when" not an "if") Given the religious cult surrounding the stock, it might take more than the loss of one or two customers to trigger a correction, but a revenue disappointment would be scary given the current valuation. TD