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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (14654)	9/7/1998 2:27:00 AM
From: Clarksterh	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 152472

Maurice et al - Everyone always asks why Ericsson continues its tactics even if they know that they cannot win all the necessary patent suits. The answer just appeared on this board in the form of the comment by His Pinkness. Ericsson hopes by arguing loud and long they will get more people to think like HP. From Ericsson's standpoint it is a reasonable tactic (albeit a little amoral), given their strengths in manipulating the media (notice that exactly the same language shows up in all articles against Qualcomm "But the prospect for convergence is dim because of Qualcomm's insistence that the single standard be based on its patented narrowband CDMA technology." which is strictly speaking true, but completely misleading in that it implies that Qualcomm's patents only apply to narrowband. Almost exactly the same quote appeared in the Forbes and Business Week articles. Coincidence? I think not.) As for the Korean situation on 3g. So what? They would be foolish to do anything other than manufacture every type of 3g system. But if they want a cheap upgrade path internally they are still likely to have to go with CDMA2000, and if WCDMA happens at all, Qualcomm will be a big player and receive royalties. Clark PS HP: I apologize for picking on you, but you've fallen right into the Ericsson trap. So far Qualcomm management hasn't done us wrong, why start worrying now? The management seems to be pretty savy in every way (technology, marketing, politics, ...) except possibly manufacturing.

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (14654)	9/7/1998 8:06:00 AM
From: tero kuittinen	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 152472

Maurice... put a little love in your heart. It's not quite that black and white. * About that price disadvantage of GSM - GSM-1800 calls in Finland cost 8 cents a minute. Prices are crashing in the rest of the Europe as well. The price advantage of CDMA for end users is what? The CDMA handsets cannot undercut GSM handsets that have vastly larger economies of scale. * Let's bury this moldering corpse of "CDMA overlays in Europe". There wasn't, there isn't, there ain't never gonna be. The push for this began in January. It is September now. Nothing's cooking. How could it? If any European country installed CDMA it would leave its customers stranded with no roaming in the other European countries. Moreover, current European customers do not accept stand-by times shorter than one week. The current US CDMA phones would be a disastrous flop over here. * I can argue that GSM is mainly an Asian standard. The biggest GSM country in the world is China. The fastest GSM subscription growth in the world takes place in Asia. In three years the total GSM subscriber base of Europe will be overtaken by Asia. This "European standard" does not work as a propaganda tool anymore. * How hostile, alienating and short-sighted can a basically promising company be? We are in the process of learning. Motorola's backstabbing was damaging enough; now it looks like Qualcomm's demands about altering W-CDMA are so extravagant not even another American CDMA company will back them. Right on top of that we have the Koreans in revolt, suing Qualcomm and showing support for W-CDMA. What allies does Qualcomm have left? Is Lucent the last dog to die, to paraphrase Bill? How long until also Lucent denounces Qualcomm/sues it? Could we start a betting pool? * Japan, Korea, Europe and China in the W-CDMA corner. It looks like USA and Republic of Kongo are now the linchpins for the future of CDMA2000. * The cynical Southern Strategy of Qualcomm is closely patterned after that of Richard Nixon. It goes like this: pander to the basest instincts of people who listen to Reba McEntire in pick-up trucks and tear up when they watch re-runs of "Alamo" on television. You can't go wrong. So it is the xenophobic Southern right wing creepoids who are now backing up Qualcomm at the US senate. This crowd pushed through the Helms-Burton law that punishes European companies who do business with Cuba. So it is possible that Qualcomm is able to manipulate them into making its case. It is every bit as cynical and nihilistic as it sounds. Tero

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (14654)	9/7/1998 12:12:00 PM
From: Carter Patterson	Respond to of 152472

"Qualcomm is producing a cellular system which Sprint can sell at cheaper than landline costs." Is this Sprint PCS or something else ? Thanks.

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (14654)	9/7/1998 7:51:00 PM
From: His Pinkness	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 152472

Mqurice & Clark Your replies to my concern are similar to comments you have been making for months. The gist of your position is that Qualcomm is producing more and more of superior technology and shouldn't give away its product at unreasonable prices. In a vacuum, your position is sound. Unfortunately, we are not operating in a vacuum. Clark, you are correct in concluding that I am a victim of ERICY's political propaganda. More importantly, though, it seems that many companies and countries are similar victims. Regardless of how evil and misguided ERICY may be, if it succeeds in convincing companies and countries that QCOM is evil and misguided, then we lose. For a moment, think only of the politics. Ignore the prospective sales during the next few quarters. Ignore the technological genius of the Q. Think only about the consequences of Europe, China, Korea, Mexico, South America, et al, deciding that they are fed up with Qualcomm and they are going to do business elsewhere. Your initial impulse may be that countries and companies will eventually focus on the technology that is best for their citizens and customers. My concern is the fact that in the business and political worlds, it is not uncommon to see good products left in the dust because the provider is despised. If Qualcomm maintains a F*ck You attitude, that is exactly what will happen to its shareholders. We will all prosper if Qualcomm finds a way to work with, not against, the world in providing the best communications technology. HP