To: Bigscore who wrote (525 ) 4/23/1999 8:43:00 AM From: GC Read Replies (6) | Respond to of 767
from the Yahoo bosrd of LHSP Finance Home - Yahoo! translation part I by: Ambiorixxx 7351 of 7354 SOME HIGHLIGHTS from the interview with Mr. B. Vergnes, CEO MSFT Europe : The cooperation between MSFT and L&H is to our mutual advantage, such as the planned integration of L&H products in Windows2000 and the next version of Office. Our relationship with L&H is threefold: we have invested a total of 60 million USD in L&H, we consider this a very good investment and have no plans to change this first type of relationship, no matter what rumors circulate sometimes. Second, there is our commercial cooperation. L&H is the biggest supplier of speech and translation technology to MSFT. For both parties this is good business. MSFT is an important client for L&H. Finally, there is our technological cooperation. While research is done separately, we get together in the development phase of new products, e.g. the car PC which is at this moment available in 8 languages. We have contacts with a car manufacturer and a car stereo manufacturer to commercialize this product. We develop together text-to-speech applications for Encarta, and I already mentioned the use of L&H products in Windows 2000 and the version of Office to be released after Office 2000. We do not have exclusivity contracts with L&H but this works both ways. L&H licences its technologies to other companies. We are independent and cooperate to our mutual advantage. (interviewer asks: why does MSFT not buy L&H competely ?) That would not be good business neither for MSFT nor for L&H. MSFT is interested in general applications. L&H also develops specialised applications for niche markets like medicine and law. Furthermore, L&H offers translation services, also on the internet. So they cover the entire speech and language market and for their development it is important they keep doing this. (question: did MSFT induce chip maker INTC to invest 30 million USD in L&H ?) part II by: Ambiorixxx 7352 of 7354 (interviewer asks: why does MSFT not buy L&H competely ?) That would not be good business neither for MSFT nor for L&H. MSFT is interested in general applications. L&H also develops specialised applications for niche markets like medicine and law. Furthermore, L&H offers translation services, also on the internet. So they cover the entire speech and language market and for their development it is important they keep doing this. (question: did MSFT induce chip maker INTC to invest 30 million USD in L&H ?) No, both companies are big enough to reach such an important agreement. It is of course a huge endorsement of L&H to have such a leading company as INTC on board. I am a board member of L&H and have close personal relationships with Jo Lernout and Pol Hauspie. They are very able managers and the fundamentals of the company are excellent. It's not easy for a Belgian company to get respected on NASDAQ between the American technology giants. L&H is succeeding, as testified by MSFT's and INTEL's participation in L&H.