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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1999)	11/27/1998 2:55:00 PM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Interesting study if your a VAR selling inter-related IP Products, the complete solution system is the way? Internet Study -- Survey Says VARs Are the Best Bet For Bringing SMBs Online November 27, 1998 VARBUSINESS: Boston-the majority of small and midsize businesses in the United States has yet to embrace the Internet as a strategic business tool, according to a recent study conducted by The Yankee Group, a research firm based here. Failure to jump on the Internet bandwagon means thousands of small and midsize businesses are missing out on potentially lucrative opportunities to expand their operations electronically. But it could also translate into a tremendous opportunity for systems integrators and VARs specializing in Internet-based services and products, says Chris Gwynn, senior analyst at The Yankee Group. "With the Internet, people are still trying to figure out what they need to do, and why they need to be there," says Gwynn. "Resellers are better equipped [than direct sellers] to provide that information." The major advantage the channel holds over direct competitors is the ability to offer a complete solution, says Jason Chee, account manager at Bert Technologies Inc., a Seattle-base SMB VAR. "It's not so much that a VAR has an advantage in providing customers with information," he says, " but in providing a turnkey system." The key to capturing the SMB market for VARs, Gwynn adds, is to target products and services at the right level. Efforts to sell Internet-based solutions to businesses that range in size from two to 499 employees have largely sputtered, he says, because manufacturers and service providers are going about it the wrong way. Instead of offering potential customers basic and entry-level products, such as firewalls and site-blocking tools, vendors have been focusing on pitching high-end electronic commerce solutions, Gwynn claims. "The SMB market needs basic Internet-building foundation tools," says Gwynn. He further says that, as a result of being battered with a barrage of sophisticated products that they do not understand or are not ready to use, small-business owners have retreated from, instead of embraced, the Internet. According to the survey, only 31 percent of small businesses and 51 percent of midsize businesses maintain some sort of Web presence. Even more revealing, says Gwynn, is that 55 percent of small businesses and 66 percent of midsize businesses currently without access to the Internet have no plans to add it.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1999)	12/2/1998 6:29:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Selby Wellman on SNA over IP By Selby Wellman Network World Fusion, 11/30/98 When Cisco entered the SNA and IP internetworking market in 1991, the market was not clearly defined. Analysts were predicting the death of mainframe computers. And there was great debate on whether or not IP would become the dominant networking protocol. Back then, the companies that consolidated their SNA and IP networks were risk takers. As IP emerged as the protocol of choice in the mid-90s, technologies such as channel-attach routers and data link switching became more widely accepted in the industry. With that, more enterprises embarked on consolidating their SNA and IP networks to reduce networking costs. Today, industry experts say that around 65% of mission-critical data traffic is still SNA. According to an IDC study conducted in May, 1998, 72% of enterprises intend to continue to support their mainframe within their global network. Cisco has helped thousands of companies migrate their legacy networks. Our technologies are continually being enhanced to provide better security, quality of service and Web-to-host connectivity. However, it's estimated that in the U.S., only 39% of enterprises that use mainframe computers have completed their SNA and IP network consolidation. And the majority of companies outside the U.S. haven't even begun their network consolidation. What will it take for these companies to begin their legacy migration? It's simple. First, to stay competitive, enterprises will be forced to link their customers to networked applications via the Internet to provide faster, better service. Second, companies will have to consolidate their SNA and IP networks to position themselves for the next technology wave: the convergence of data, voice and video networks. Send me an e-mail to share your thoughts on this topic.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1999)	12/2/1998 6:36:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

GartnerGroup's Dataquest Says Worldwide Cable Modem Shipments to Grow 130 Percent in 1998; Dataquest Report Provides Five-Year Outlook for the Industry December 2, 1998 SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Fueled by strong demand in North America, the worldwide cable modem market is forecast to grow 130 percent in 1998, with shipments reaching 492,000 units, up from 214,000 units in 1997, according to Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Group, Inc. (NYSE:IT). The market continues to be driven by the North America region, where cable modem shipments are projected to account for 79 percent of the worldwide market in 1998. "In the residential marketplace, the success of high-speed cable data services will depend on the penetration of PCs in households as well as the state of network operators' cable hybrid fiber coax (HFC) infrastructure and how much of it is activated for two-way communications capability," said Patti Reali, industry analyst in Dataquest's Remote LAN and Internet Access Worldwide program. Dataquest's most recent survey indicated that PC penetration will approach 49 million households in the United States by the end of 1998, and more than 80 percent of these households will have Internet access, the overwhelming majority of which are analog dial-up connections. "This data indicates that broadband cable ISPs and their affiliated cable network operators have a significant market opportunity to gain market share from incumbent dial-up ISPs," Ms. Reali said. Dataquest analysts said the cable modem market will begin to see improved growth in other regions of the world. European countries are in the midst of trials and some commercial rollouts, and network operators have announced aggressive deployment plans. The Asia/Pacific and Lain America regions are forecast to see increasing demand in the stronger economies where aggressive pricing against incumbent service providers is expected to win converts. In 2002, worldwide cable modem shipments are projected to surpass 2.4 million units, with the North America region accounting for 50 percent of the shipments. "The market for cable modems and high-speed cable Internet access stalled slightly in mid-1998, as cable network operators waited for the finalization of the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standard, and the shipment of standards-based headend and cable modem gear," Ms. Reali said. "Final certification of interoperability of vendor equipment was not expected until late December 1998, and early January 1999, and volume shipments of standard cable modems will begin shortly after that during the first quarter of 1999." Additional information is available in the Dataquest Market Statistics report "Cable Modem Market Share and Forecast." This report covers the worldwide cable modem customer-premises equipment (CPE) market with detailed statistical information and analysis. This report is produced by Dataquest's Remote LAN and Internet Access Worldwide program. Remote access is one of the fastest-growing and the most dynamic market within the communications industry, and this program offers in-depth and timely analysis of the issues that impact this market. More information on this program is available on Dataquest's Web site at dataquest.com. To purchase the report or subscribe to this program, please call 800/419-DATA, or 408/468-8009. More information about Dataquest's programs, descriptions of recent research reports, and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at dataquest.com. GartnerGroup's Dataquest is the recognized leader in providing the high-technology and financial communities with market intelligence for the semiconductor, computer systems and peripherals, communications, document management, software, and services sectors of the global information technology industry. As the world's leading authority on IT, GartnerGroup provides clients with a wide range of products and services in the areas of IT advisory services, measurement, research, decision support, analysis, and consulting. Founded in 1979, with headquarters in Stamford, Conn., GartnerGroup is at the center of a global community with more than 11,000 client organizations served by analysts in 80 locations worldwide. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at gartner.com. CONTACT: Dataquest \| Tom McCall, 408/468-8312 \| tom.mccall@gartner.com [Copyright 1998, Business Wire]