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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brian Malloy who wrote (19118)	3/29/1999 2:06:00 AM
From: RTev	Respond to of 74651

reasons for @Home and Roadrunner to merge from Fortune. I would be surprised if the FTC would smile on such a merger. I suspect they'd take a much narrower view of the market and would at least encourage the FCC to reconsider their no-regulation-for-now stance. But since this is an MSFT board, it's worth asking if a merger is in Microsoft's interest. Microsoft is a major investor in Comcast and is a junior partner with TimeWarner and MediaOne in RoadRunner (Compaq and a privately owned publishing company are also partners). It looks to me like Microsoft is in a good position in RoadRunner that would be significantly weakened if it merged with AT&T-controlled @home. None of it matters much for now, since both companies have their hands full getting their IP networks built out and hooked into the cable companies. But it matters a great deal when they turn to the convergence between the net and the TV images also pumped through those wires. AT&T and @home, because their history and business will look to network-centric solutions that are device agnostic. I suspect Microsoft would prefer to see a more device-specific solution that uses the network, but also requires a device powered by Microsoft software. Which solution would be better? I don't know. But we won't have a chance to see either of them fully developed if RR and @home merged now.