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To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (4847)4/25/1999 6:58:00 PM
From: Ram Seetharaman  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 9582
 



Sunday April 25 5:00 PM ET

Broadcom To Buy Epigram For $316 Mln
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Communications gear maker Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq:BRCM - news) said Sunday it plans a $316 million acquisition of networking equipment manufacturer Epigram Inc. in a move to offer high-speed communications to a broader range of home and small office consumers.

Broadcom -- whose products are featured in set-top cable television boxes and computer modems -- plans to integrate Epigram's technology to provide broadband access and high-speed connections among PCs and electronic appliances.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Epigram's networking semiconductor products allow consumers to create high-speed home networks over ordinary telephone lines for distributing broadband Internet access, video transfer and voice at high speeds.

Broadcom, which is located in Irvine, Calif., said it had signed an agreement to acquire Epigram. Under the terms of the deal, it will issue 4.6 million shares of its class B common stock in exchange for all shares of Epigram preferred and common stock. The $316 million pricetag is based upon Broadcom's April 23 closing share price of $68.75.

The merger transaction is expected to close within 90 days, pending Epigram shareholder approval and satisfaction of regulatory requirements and closing conditions.

''This strategic acquisition completes our vision of extending the broadband connection throughout the home,'' Broadcom President and Chief Executive Henry Nicholas III said in a statement.

''It will enable the ubiquitous delivery of voice, data and video to any network-enabled appliance, PC or consumer electronic device over ordinary phone lines,'' Nicholas said. ''This will provide a complete, standards-based silicon platform for a host of new consumer devices and applications.''

Epigram will become Broadcom's Home Networking Division and will be headed up by Epigram President and Chief Executive Jeff Thermond.

In February, leading chip maker Intel Corp. (Nasdaq:INTC - news) made a Securities and Exchange Commission filing announcing that it acquired a 3.9 percent stake in Broadcom.



To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (4847)4/26/1999 11:16:00 AM
From: DJBEINO  Respond to of 9582
 
Worldwide PC sales jumped in Q1

Robust growth, particularly in the U.S., was unexpected

REUTERS

SAN FRANCISCO April 25 — Worldwide shipments of personal computers rose a better-than-expected 17 to 19 percent in the first quarter, fueled by a recovery in Asia and unexpected strength in the consumer market, according to two leading research firms.

ACCORDING TO International Data Corp., worldwide unit shipments rose 19 percent in the first quarter, with the United States leading the way with a stunning 24 percent unit growth.
Gartner Group's Dataquest Inc., which does not include PC servers in its data, said unit shipments grew 17 percent worldwide in the first quarter.
“It's better than you usually expect for the first quarter,” said Christine Arrington, an analyst at IDC, a market research firm based in Framingham, Mass. “Coming off the fourth quarter (which is typically strongest), you expect the consumer market to die down a little bit”
Continued health in Europe was also a factor and Asia-Pacific, especially Japan's consumer market, showed strong growth despite prolonged economic weakness in the region.

msnbc.com