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Technology Stocks : 3Com Corporation (COMS) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Coenen who wrote (27374)	2/3/1999 9:45:00 AM
From: Finder	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 45548

Over 4 million shares in the first 13 minutes. People are running. Although support now seems to be holding at 39

To: Bill Coenen who wrote (27374)	2/3/1999 9:46:00 AM
From: Moonray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45548

More: 3Com names HP exec to take over Palm unit San Jose Mercury - Published Wednesday, February 3, 1999 3Com Corp. on Tuesday tapped a 25-year industry veteran and Hewlett-Packard Co. executive to run its fast-growing Palm Computing division, as it seeks new markets for its popular hand-held organizers. Robin Abrams, 47, who is president and chief executive officer of HP's VeriFone unit and previously ran a $5 billion division at Apple Computer Inc., will take over the maker of the PalmPilot and Palm III devices on Feb. 12. Abrams will take the helm of the 450-worker 3Com unit at a time when it overwhelmingly dominates the hand-held computing market. Her most difficult task will be to maintain what analysts say is a tenfold lead over competitors, as rival products based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows CE operating system begin to gather momentum. ''Our major challenges are continuing to grow,'' Abrams said. ''And not to lose a single minute in the leadership (we) have.'' Abrams, who says she typically starts her days at 4 a.m., will take over the unit from Janice Roberts, 3Com's senior vice president of marketing and business development. Roberts took the reins at Palm Computing on an interim basis after the sudden departure in July of founders Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins, who left to start their own company. Roberts said she will continue to work closely with Palm Computing's investments, acquisitions and new technologies. Roberts also said that Santa Clara-based 3Com, the second-largest maker of computer networking equipment behind San Jose-based Cisco Systems Inc., plans to break out revenues and earnings for Palm Computing, to show investors the real value of its fastest-growing unit. Roberts said Palm Computing has sold nearly 3 million personal organizers. ''She is a dynamo,'' Heidi Roizen, a former Apple executive who now is a director of several technology companies, said of Abrams. ''I think she is a terrific choice.'' Analysts praised the choice of Abrams. ''She is a top-notch executive who really understands the market,'' said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, a technology consulting firm based in Campbell. ''However, she has significant challenges ahead.'' Bajarin said ''a lot of people are stepping over themselves to innovate'' in the fledgling market for Windows CE-based devices dubbed palm-size PCs, the Pilot's chief rivals. For instance, HP announced a palm-sized PC with a color monitor on Monday. Roberts said Palm Computing was planning to license the Palm OS operating system more aggressively, in part to counter its competitors. The company has already cut deals to license the Palm OS to wireless phone maker Qualcomm, Symbol Technologies, a maker of bar-code readers, and IBM. Handspring Inc., a Palo Alto-based start-up headed by Dubinsky and Hawkins, also plans to make devices based on the Palm OS. ''We certainly think there is a lot of opportunity to be on the low end of the price range,'' Dubinsky said. ''But it is too early to give more details.'' Abrams has headed VeriFone, HP's 3,000-worker unit that makes point of sale and electronic payment equipment, since April 1998. Before that she spent five years at Apple in various positions, including president, Americas, where she was responsible for more than $5 billion in business in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Abrams, who will have the titles of Palm Computing president and 3Com senior vice president, will report to Bruce Claflin, 3Com's president and chief operating officer. o~~~ O