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

To: RalphCramden who wrote (19797)	12/15/1998 4:59:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Leaders In Wireless> Wireless industry leaders and PC makers have joined forces to speed the adoption of wireless data services, continuing a trend toward partnerships to expand network computing. The new consortium, the WirelessReady Alliance, is led by Sierra Wireless, a mid-sized hardware maker specializing in wireless modems. The alliance, which includes Compaq Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Casio, and Sharp, was formed to create embedded wireless technologies in laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and next-generation handheld computers for remote email access, virtual private networks (VPNs) and other Internet-based services. But some experts question whether the consortium, which has heavyweight backing from wireless service providers AT&T Wireless and Bell Atlantic Mobile, software makers and the new Microsoft-Qualcomm venture WirelessKnowledge, will do more than just promote one of many wireless connectivity technologies. Do you want to know more? View story in The Big Picture Go to Message Boards Search News.com Analysts, pointing to the proliferation of mobile computing devices, said connectivity is a key ingredient to satisfying busy consumers and mobile professionals. "We're seeing the mobile professional walking around with three or four devices and they're always looking for connectivity," said Terry Nozick, an industry analyst at Mobile Insights, a mobile computing consulting firm. "This alliance is a response to the fact that many manufacturers are looking into cellular because everyone's looking for wireless connectivity and synchronization." Searching for solutions The growth of handheld computers has exploded. And smart phones--with expected use to balloon from 100,000 units to more than 11 million by 2002, according to some estimates--may not be sophisticated enough for some future mobile data applications. "The [data] solutions today aren't terribly complete," said Andrew Harries, vice president of marketing for Sierra Wireless. "We want to accelerate the growth of the industry through the delivery of compelling wireless data solutions." But Harries said there are not enough wireless applications now, and there has been no organized effort to improve the situation. "No one is really pulling the disparate pieces together," he said. Analysts said the wireless industry is ready for a company to take a leadership role, since there are several competing technologies and connectivity standards on the market today. "Next year standards and alliances will help steer manufacturers to making more informed decisions about which way to go with wireless," Nozick said. Getting wireless devices to work with one another, known as interoperability, and providing integrated data services is essential to expanding the wireless industry's reach to the mass market, analysts said. Earlier this year, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba, formed a coalition named Bluetooth to push for a mobile wireless specifications, which, like the WirelessReady Alliance, aims to capitalize on the growing demand for mobile connectivity. "Interoperability is what drives product into the retail space," said Zia Daniell, an analyst at Jupiter Communications. "That's what's been behind it in the cable modem industry, the DSL industry, and now in wireless." Revolutionary, or just retail? Although the WirelessReady Alliance is not a standards-setting body, or a technology advocacy group such as the Wireless Data Forum, it will provide lab testing facilities that could eventually lead to the formation of a certification process. The WirelessReady certification would ensure that next-generation handhelds are compatible with data services and service plans from the 18-member alliance. But some analysts question whether the alliance will truly expand wireless data services or simply push Sierra Wireless' products. Sierra largely utilizes Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), a wireless connectivity technology. But there are several other transmission technologies available, including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Global System for Mobile Computing (GSM)--limiting the ability of phones and portable devices to work with other networks across the country. Those roaming limitations have hampered the cellular phone and paging industries, analysts said, and is one reason wireless technologies are more advanced in Europe where GSM is the standard of choice. "Unless [the alliance] invites in competing technologies, everyone won't win in the long run," said Weston Hendereck, a wireless analyst at GIGA Information Group. "This is a good first step, but there will need to be more initiatives like this encompassing broader technologies for there to be any lasting effects." More News: QCOM

To: RalphCramden who wrote (19797)	12/15/1998 5:26:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Lucent>CDMA Contract> December 15, 1998 Microwave Power wins Lucent CDMA order HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.—Microwave Power Devices Inc. announced it was awarded an estimated $39 million consignment order to supply highly linear, single channel, cellular Code Division Multiple Access amplifiers to Lucent Technologies Inc. Lucent will use them predominantly in its CDMA telecommunications base stations. With the receipt of this consignment order, Microwave Power's backlog totals approximately $128 million, which is a record, said the company.

To: RalphCramden who wrote (19797)	12/15/1998 5:38:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Telecom Outlook, From AOL> INDUSTRY FOCUS Ratings Key: 1. Outperform 2. Slightly Outperform 3. Average 4. Slightly Underperform 5. Underperform. A split rating such as 2/3 refers to short-term/long-term and is used when there is a particular short term influence of note. Revisions Key: Date of last revision; N/new, +/upgraded, =/unchanged, -/downgraded TELECOM EQP......2.......12/14........(+) Comment: The overall prospects for the industry remain excellent given explosive growth in the Internet and the concurrent demand for increased bandwidth on the part of traditional service providers. Rapid growth in the small-office/home office (Soho) market, the convergence of voice, video and data and growing demand in underdeveloped foreign markets should also help drive steady double-digit earnings growth for the foreseeable future. In a marketplace where earnings growth is scarce, we expect investors to continue paying a sizable premium for the growth potential provided by several of the component issues. Prospects for consolidation (due in part to the merger activity in the telecom service group) and more stable economic environments in the Asian and Latin American regions provide additional incentive to investors to pay up for these stocks. That said, we are noticing a more distinct schism between the haves and the have nots, with three companies emerging as the dominate players in the group. They are Lucent, Nortel Networks and Tellabs. Some of the mid to small sized firms will do fine in their respective niche markets, but we expect most of the outperformance to come from the big three as customers prefer the one-stop shopping and superior service these firms provide. Second and third tier players threatend not only by competitive pricing climate but by R&D demands, short product life cycles and speed to market challenges. So while a number of secondary players could continue to find the going tough over the intermediate- to long-term, the more heavily weighted large-cap players should manage to lift the performance of the overall group above that of the market. Consequently, we are upping our near-term rating from 3 to 2 while maintaining our long-term rating of 2.Stocks: ADC Telecommunications (ADCT), Advanced Fibre Communications (AFCI), Andrew Corp. (ANDW), AtHome (ATHM), Ciena (CIEN), General Instruments (GIC), Lucent Technologies (LU), PairGain Technology (PAIR), PictureTel (PCTL), Qualcomm (QCOM), Scientific-Atlanta (SFA), Teligent (TGNT) and Tellabs (TLAB).

To: RalphCramden who wrote (19797)	12/15/1998 6:54:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Nokia Projections> From the December 14, 1998 issue of Wireless Week Nokia Thrives On Chaos By Paul Quigley LONDON--Nokia Corp. is bucking the trend in its latest business projections. At an analysts meeting held in London, the company detailed its expectations for the coming years. According to Jorma Ollila, president and CEO at Nokia, the global wireless market had an estimated 300 million subscribers by the end of 1998, and estimates project it will have approximately 1 billion wireless users by 2005. "Wireless has come of age," Ollila said. "One of our fundamental beliefs [is] that voice is going wireless. Wireless data will become a major driver in the industry." Two dominant trends in communications, mobility and the Internet, will merge, he added. While economic turmoil across Asia has rocked stock markets and business confidence alike, Nokia still envisions a new chapter for the former tiger economies. "The financial crises in some Southeast Asian countries have not altered our strategic approach to these markets," he said. "In fact, we have continued to strengthen our commitment." Nokia's corporate view of Asia expects the region to emerge from present difficulties and to play a more significant role in the world of telecom than it previously did. With industry analysts predicting rates of 50 percent to 70 percent penetration for other regions such as Europe and North America, Nokia's optimism for Asian markets might appear well founded. In China alone, Nokia expects the number of mobile subscribers to hit the 200 million mark by the year 2010and to reach 600 million subscribers by the year 2050. Ollila said this was still just the tip of the iceberg in terms of wireless penetration. "A 600 million subscriber target equals over 30 percent penetration based on a stable population of approximately 1.5 billion," he said. He said Nokia's commitment to China extends beyond just the manufacturing and production of wireless terminals and infrastructure. The role of localized research and development efforts will become key to their corporate future. "With China being in the forefront of third-generation development, the role of R&D will increase in the future. China will be one of the markets where we will, together with our partners, establish a complete third-generation trial network." On the European front, the imminent arrival of the new currency dominated the agenda for Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's CFO. "Economically, 1999 will therefore be a year of unprecedented change in Europe. For Nokia, the introduction of the new currency will decrease the foreign exchange risk to be managed, it will facilitate the investment of liquid funds and it will decrease the costs of cash management." On the macro-economic front, Kallasvuo said the company would save money by doing business in the new currency and added that Nokia's growth target of 25 percent to 35 percent for 1999 remains realistic "in the face of increasingly tough comparisons and somewhat greater uncertainties." Following Nokia's recent landmark achievement in making its 100 millionth wireless handset, Matti Alahuhta, president of Nokia Mobile Phones, said it was an important milestone on the road to a so-called wireless information society. "An increasing part of all personal communications, be it voice, images, data or video, will be mobile in the future," he said, reiterating analysts' projections. "We have estimated that in the developed wireless markets, mobile phone penetration will soon reach the level of 60 [percent] to 70 percent." However, on a pragmatic note, Ollila said, "We are not participating in a 100-meter dash. We have signed up for a marathon, and the race is not won straight out of the gate. The underlying strength in the telecommunications industry holds out the promise for continued strong growth."