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Strategies & Market Trends : The Thread Formerly Known as No Rest For The Wicked -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tim Luke who wrote (41127)	5/16/1999 2:00:00 AM
From: Jack Colton	Respond to of 90042

COMS has been providing sports related events for all of the Network Integrators in the Atlanta area for about the last 2 months. Once a week like clockwork. Here's the latest: Due to a River Pines Golf course issue, we have had to reschedule our Network Management Training Event. The new date is Wednesday, May 12, 1999 at 8:30am. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and look forward to having you join us on May 12th! There are still seats available, so please register at 800-847-6972. LEARN HOW TO CONTROL YOUR NETWORK WITH 3COM'S NETWORK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN $10,000!!!! WHEN: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 8:00-8:30am Registration 8:30-10:30am Training 10:30am-12:30pm Putting Contest and BBQ lunch WHERE: River Pines Golf Course, Alpharetta, GA WHAT: 3Com's Industry Leading Network Management Solutions We are limited to 75 people, so register early at www.onlinetraining.3com.com or call 1-800-847-6972, options 1,2,0. /Denise O'Leska 3Com Corporation 770-351-2138

To: Tim Luke who wrote (41127)	5/16/1999 2:16:00 AM
From: Jack Colton	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90042

Good night all. I'm crashing. Jack

To: Tim Luke who wrote (41127)	5/16/1999 4:20:00 AM
From: Jerry Attrick	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90042

Since it seems that some of the “lurkers” are coming out of the woodwork, I figured I would chime in too. I have learned much from all of you “regulars” in the short time I have watched this thread. I would probably read it just for the pure entertainment value (Mr. Thesp…you're a riot), but I hope to supplement my income in the process. Position trading is a good fit for me because I have an engrossing job and can't always watch everything in “real time.” I'm wondering if anyone has looked at a company called Net Perceptions (NETP). Company website is netperceptions.com They are a recent IPO that is coming out of their “quiet period.” My understanding is that analyst coverage can then begin. The small amount of info I have read so far seems encouraging, but I am anxious to hear if any of you have an opinion. Finally, “props” to Tim for starting this thread. OK, enough asskissing. I'm making myself nauseous. Mike Holding COMS, NXTL, SKYT

To: Tim Luke who wrote (41127)	5/16/1999 5:36:00 AM
From: Neil H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90042

Will Omnipoint Be Bought--Or Go Broke? Takeover Bait Julie Creswell You probably know wireless phone company Omnipoint for its clever commercials featuring a smooth-talking parrot. These days, Wall Street is doing the squawking. Omnipoint has spent more than a year searching for a strategic partner to shore up its financially stretched operations. The company has burned through cash as it built its wireless network in the Northeast. (Last year it lost $663 million on just $172 million in sales.) In an effort to get management to speed up its progress, an undisclosed investor added a strange twist when it agreed to lend Omnipoint $125 million last December. The loan agreement stipulated that if a strategic partner were not found by April 21, Omnipoint would have to pay an additional $625,000 a month in interest until a deal was closed, on top of the 14% annual rate it already pays. The April date passed without an announcement; now everyone is wondering whether Omnipoint will make its May payment deadline. (A spokesperson said the company couldn't comment, because it was in a quiet period, having just purchased some wireless licenses.) The extra monthly payment may not sound like a lot, except that the company is already $2.3 billion in debt--borrowing heavily from many lenders, including Siemens and Nortel, to help meet operating expenses. If the company seems to be lacking financial direction, it may be because it has been without a CFO since September, when Bradley Sparks resigned. "[The extra interest payment] is a big chunk of change," sighs Carolyn Luther Trabuco, a wireless analyst at First Union. Like other analysts, she's mystified by Omnipoint's trouble finding a partner. Its wireless licenses and networks, particularly in New York, Boston, and Miami, should be extremely attractive to several domestic and international carriers, she notes. Analysts say its holdings could help Sonera (formerly Telecom Finland), Hong Kong's Hutchison Telecom, and Germany's Mannesmann, where Omnipoint's president once worked. Domestically, SBC and BellSouth could use Omnipoint's network to expand geographically, as could MCI WorldCom (though the latter is rumored to be in talks with wireless carrier Nextel). Alternatively, analysts predict that a smaller wireless company, like Western Wireless or Powertel, could buy a stake in Omnipoint for around $18 per share. (The stock now trades around $16.) There are hints that a deal may be imminent. In March, executives told investors in a conference call that they had received four written proposals. (Omnipoint had been negotiating with British Telecom last year, say sources, but the deal was squashed when the British telco formed an alliance with AT&T.) Complicating matters is the fact that any strategic partner would have to forge a relationship with founder and CEO Douglas Smith. He is Omnipoint's largest shareholder (with about 13% of shares outstanding) and has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to work with. Smith's office is located in Bethesda, Md., while the company's president, George Schmitt, keeps his office in New Jersey. A source very close to the company says their relationship is "strained"--to put it mildly. The difficult working situation could give any potential partner pause. Since Omnipoint can't afford to throw away $625,000 a month in additional interest for too long, analysts say its executives should spend their time wooing partners--and leave the squawking to the parrot. Vol. 139, No. 10, May 24, 1999