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Microcap & Penny Stocks : THNS - Technest Holdings (Prev. FNTN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David W who wrote (11667)	3/25/1999 7:25:00 PM
From: Wally	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 15313

David: Your question is very legitimate and your concerns are well-taken. A client relationship with a mega-national company does not in itself translate into size, sales or profits for a smaller company. At this writing, while having no definitive translation as to the actual depth of the Siemens/ FNTN relationship, we have a pretty good reason to believe it is far greater than a pedestrian client/ supplier marriage. Much more on that subject below. First, on the subject of the release and possible reasons for its delay. We know through FWB's correspondence that Siemens VP, Robert Grenier has acknowledged the existence and readiness of a joint announcement. This is important because it both validates the existence of the release and puts a short-term date on its public debut. It is very possible that the release was meant to include or focus on joint trade show participation and/ or other joint ventures that are time-critical and also may have included components that may have been delayed in implementation. We'll just have to wait for the release of the announcement (or announcements) - the content of which may answer our questions as to the delay. While I cannot answer your core question by supplying you with an exact measurement of the depth of the Siemens/ FNTN "strategic partnership", we do know it is deeper than the typical definition of a client-supplier relationship. Since you are relatively new to the thread, you may not have had the opportunity to read the letter that Robert Grenier sent me - or you may not have read it beyond excerpted form. I think Mr. Grenier's letter affords us the strongest hint to date defining Siemens' role in FNTN's future. Here is Mr. Grenier's unabridged and unedited response to my query - a must read: Mr. Hayman, I was the National Manager for Emerging Technologies in 1997 and responsible for the sale and implementation of new multi-media services in North America. I was fortunate enough the convince Financial Intranet (FNTN) that Siemens was better prepared to provide a "total" solution, worldwide, then any of our competition... To answer your specific questions: Q. 1.Financial Intranet publicly refers to Siemens as a "Strategic Partner." Can you both confirm this claim and define the term as Siemens' understands it? A. Siemens-Nixdorf, Inc. OEC, the Siemens computer division's Multi-Media development arm considers FNTN a Strategic Partner, as do I. FNTN is one of our first Multi- Media customers in North America. My goal is to make FNTN a Multi-Media showcase and a conduit for new emerging technologies and applications... a goal shared by my European counterparts. Q 2. Financial Intranet claims to be using proprietary technology co-developed by Siemens and Financial Intranet. Is this accurate and can you elaborate on the uniqueness of the technology? A. I would rather use the term "Open Technology with proprietary enhancements". The FNTN platform uses, as a base, openly available hardware and software technologies. This allows FNTN (and Siemens) to take advantage of the "best-of- breed" products at the most cost effective prices. Proprietary enhancements are then "layered" onto the open platforms, providing performance enhancements and ' FNTN product uniqueness. When new releases of Hardware, Operating system and application software are released, FNTN can easily upgrade. Siemens uses this approach internally. Q. 3. Since you are a supplier to Financial Intranet, I would like to secure some form of recommendation from you concerning their company. I am not looking for stock tips. I would like to know whether or not you would recommend them based on business dealings - particularly in regard to integrity and reliability. A. I am not quite sure how to answer your question. FNTN is a start-up company and subject to all the risks that new companies face. However, FNTN is current on all payments and has been a good customer. I have known Michael Sheppard for about four years and have high regard for his personal integrity. I have never had occasion/reason to think otherwise. I hope this answers your questions, Regards (Robert Grenier)