Has anyone ever seen such a press release?
Friday December 18, 6:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Coyote Network Systems, Inc.
Coyote Network Systems: Kevin Petrie of TheStreet.Com Obviously Does Not Get It
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Coyote Network Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYOE - news) today said that Mr. Kevin Petrie, a reporter for TheStreet.Com (TSC), obviously does not, or chooses not to, understand Coyote Network Systems and the new, emerging telecom markets in which the Company competes. If Mr. Petrie understood this, he would not fax Coyote innuendo- laced, typo-filled questions like:
* Were you aware that Crescent's company address is a PO box? * Were you aware its phone number is a message service and were you aware that the phone number listed in D&B for the Crescent [sic] is a private home number? * Did you perform a legal check on Crescent communications [sic]? Or eugene curcio [sic]? * Do you normally do business with companies that are unlisted and have no business address?
Frankly, Coyote finds these questions inane, naive, and revelatory of Mr. Petrie's lack of knowledge of standard business practices, in general, and fast-growth telecommunications specifically. Petrie's actions could be interpreted as an attempt to harm the Company, its customers, and vendors and to have caused serious harm to Coyote's shareholders.
Coyote's invitation to TheStreet.Com
It is exactly because of this line of naive approach that Coyote's chief executive and chief operating officers originally sent a personal invitation to Mr. James J. Cramer, co-chair of TheStreet.com, to meet yesterday at Coyote's Engineering Center in Richardson, TX. The purpose of the meeting was to demonstrate the progress the Company has made towards the Company's previously announced strategic plan and to visit the construction site where Crescent Communications' telecom equipment will be located. Mr. Dave Kansas, editor-in-chief of TheStreet.Com, told the Company Mr. Cramer has an arm's length relationship with TheStreet.Com's editorial group, and therefore, was not the correct invitee. Coyote is gratified that Mr. Kansas has tentatively accepted our invitation, pending scheduling. In addition, Mr. Kansas has offered to send Mr. Petrie on a moment's notice.
The Company has made it clear Mr. Petrie is not welcome. However, Coyote has also made it clear that Mr. Kansas is welcome, at his very earliest convenience.
Coyote's Strategy
Coyote Network Systems is a real Company, doing real business, with real customers and real vendors. The Company has more than 100 employees and had revenues of more than $22 million for the first six months of fiscal '99, ended September 30,1998.
* Coyote is leveraging its telecom switching technology to deliver international and affinity-based long distance services, and "back room" operations and support services, primarily to emerging carriers and affinity groups. A fundamental component of Coyote's strategy is the consolidation of switchless resellers. The company intends to convert acquired non-facilities-based carriers into VoIP/VoATM (voice over Internet Protocol/voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switch based entities. Coyote expects to benefit from transforming acquired switchless resellers into "next-generation" carriers by providing them with switches, facilitating equipment financing, providing facilities based back room operations, helping them improve margins, increasing quality of service, providing a path to voice over data networks, and creating higher valuations for those companies.
* The Company is executing on its plan to accelerate growth by continuing to partner, take minority equity positions and/or acquire emerging switchless long distance resellers and complementary technology companies. Earlier this year, the Company acquired 80% of American Gateway Telecom, a provider of wholesale international long distance services to carriers, and 100% of INET, a provider of international long distance services, primarily to affinity groups, i.e., French and Japanese speaking people in the U.S. In September, the Company acquired a 19.9% equity interest in Crescent Communications, Inc., a new, emerging wholesale telecom service provider to select major international markets.
* In addition, the Company plans to accelerate growth through its recently announced joint venture, TelecomAlliance, that plans to add features, functions and assets to enhance switchless reseller's value. TelecomAlliance will offer growing switchless resellers the opportunity to route traffic over Coyote's growing network at reduced costs. TelecomAlliance plans to provide switches, arrange equipment financing, billing, traffic management, and network operations and support services. TelecomAlliance plans to carry traffic for up to 30 growing switchless resellers who average approximately $2 million in revenues per month. To date, 16 potential members have signed memorandums of understanding.
Because Coyote management does not feel Mr. Petrie can be trusted to deliver the straight truth, please visit Coyote's Website (www.cyoe.com) for a complete copy of Mr. Petrie's questions exactly as we received them.
About Coyote Network Systems
Headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, Coyote Network Systems (Nasdaq: CYOE - news) is a growing telecom provider of equipment and international long distance services. The Company has more than 100 employees and had revenues of more than $22 million for the first six months of fiscal '99. Coyote Technologies provides scalable Class 4/5 telecom switches and IP (Internet Protocol) gateway systems. Headquartered in Houston, TX, American Gateway Telecommunications provides international long distance services to carriers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Interactive Network Systems markets international long distance services, primarily to affinity groups. CNS is authorized to provide competitive local exchange carrier services in California. For more information, please visit the Company's Web site: cyoe.com, or call 1-818-735-5385.
The statements in this news release may be considered ''forward looking statements'' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. For more complete information, please refer to the Company's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the SEC.
SOURCE: Coyote Network Systems, Inc. |