30th October 1998 Archive

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Gerstner files to cash $20 million in IBM shares

But he still has several hundred million to go...

Lou Gerstner has filed to sell 142,000 of his IBM holdings, worth a cool $20 million at today's prices. The sale will make a fair old dent in his current portfolio -- around 500,000 shares worth $60 million -- but diversification is a challenge for unlucky Lou. The trouble is he can't sell shares fast enough. He has a further …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 08:28
Oracle strikes deal to push Linux apps in Japan

PHT recruited for joint development and promotion

Oracle has forged an alliance with Pacific HiTech (PHT), aiming at driving Oracle Linux applications into Asian markets. PHT claims a large installed corporate Linux base in Asia, and over 50 per cent of the Japanese Linux market. The alliance intends to develop enterprise-class applications for Linux, and in addition to helping …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 08:31
Netscape moves into Web-based enterprise app services

New products extend Peoplesoft to extranets

Netscape has moved into Web-based enterprise application services with the announcement of two products for Peoplesoft, Netscape Application Server for Peoplesoft and PerLDAP for Peoplesoft. The products are intended to integrate Internet applications with ERP systems, and will allow Peoplesoft customers to extend their …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 09:20
Synopsys to create VC chip fund

Systems on chips order of the day

The Wall Street Journal reported that Californian company Synopsys will announce it is creating a VC fund for system on a chip designers. Synopsys, which makes tools for chips designs, will put $20 million into the fund. The money will be used to fund start-ups which do not compete with its own business. It already has made …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 12:02
MS strives to prove potential AOL, Netscape pact anti-competitive

Colbourn cross-examination continues...

The cross-examination and rebuttal of AOL VP David Colburn continued all day, with John Warden, Microsoft's trial attorney, trying to establish that from late-1995, Netscape and AOL were discussing the possibility of AOL taking Navigator, with provisions to avoid competition. It would be illegal for a monopolist to have such …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 12:16
SPC contemplates its future

Harvard Graphics could be up for sale

It looks like Software Publishing Corp is putting Harvard Graphics up for sale. Following its run-in with NASDAQ, the Fairfield New Jersey company has hired Southeast Research Partners Inc (SERP) to provide investment-banking services. The conventional preamble to disposals. Software Publishing's president and CEO, Mark …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 13:14
Action tipped by Investors Chronicle

Stable margins

Action Computer Supplies is being tipped as good value by the Investors Chronicle. Action said that there's no clear trend in its computer distribution business and some customers are cutting back while others are expanding. Margins are stable at 14 per cent, despite this year's roller coaster of IT pricing. Action grew its …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 14:22
All I want for Christmas is my cheap PC

Platt claims pricing pressures are easing

HP's Lew Platt told analysts yesterday that PC pricing pressures are easing, but he's cutting an isolated figure as the rest of the industry readies for the usual round of pre-Comdex, pre-Christmas price cuts. IBM's leading the pack with its new £350 ($599) Aptiva E Series system, the D1N, available during November. "It's the …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 14:29
Schlumberger, Samsung form alliance

Aim to capitalise on systems on board

Samsung Electronics has struck a deal with German company Schlumberger in a bid to capitalise on lucrative Chinese markets. According to reports, Samsung and Schlumberger will cooperate on producing both chip testing equipment and IC cards. As part of the deal, the German partner will open a research office at Samsung's fabs in …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 14:40
Videologic slammed by Sega

Console developer gets squits in run-up to DreamCast launch

UK graphics specialist Videologic has found itself at the centre of a spat between games console developer Sega and chip manufacturer NEC. Sega recently admitted it won't, after all, be able to ship one million of its new Windows CE-based DreamCast console by the end of the year, a prediction it made a little over a month ago. …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 15:00
Dark night for Ionica as no white knight tips up

Administrators are now in the office

Deeply-troubled Ionica failed to find a white knight and it called in the administrators yesterday. The radio-based telecommunications company said that normal services will continue for its 62,000 customers and since the parent Ionica Group is unaffected by the collapse, shareholders may see some recompense, unlike Ionica’s …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 15:05
Doh! Homer Simpson sells out to Satanic Intel

Brain upgrade plan a very worrying development

The Great Satan of Chips has lured Homer Simpson into one of its secret skunk operations and will "upgrade" his brain, the company said today. Simpson, who has in the past criticised both Intel and Microsoft, is to receive the ultimate insult to his IQ. This is all very intriguing. At the Intel Developer Forum some weeks ago, …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 15:23
Fujitsu dumps Singapore

Sells out to local outfit

The island of Singapore has received another blow to its IT fortunes. Reports in Newsbytes said that Fujitsu will sell out its local DRAM assembly line operation to a Singapore firm, United Test and Assembly. No financial terms were disclosed. The move is part of Fujitsu's overall restructuring worldwide. ®

Business 30 Oct 1998, 15:43
Dixons and Cyrix team up – predictably

£599 PCs to take advantage of Santa situation

As revealed here three days ago and as "exclusively" revealed by ZDNet the day after, Dixons has bought into the Cyrix chip concept. Patriot machines will use Cyrix MII-300 chips and be sold from the groups 800 PC World, Currys and Dixons shops to capitalise on the pre-Christmas rush for technology. The Patriot machines will …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 15:57
GE Cap takes stake in ITG

It's a five percenter

GE Capital Equity Capital Group Europe has taken a five per cent stake in ITG, the UK’s largest independent Internet Service Provider, generating some £1.77 million. ITG issued new shares at 85 pence per share in cash, and they will be traded on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). ITG’s chief executive, Laurence Blackall …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 16:37
Intel to extend leasing service to SMEs

It ain't just boxes from the Great Stan

Intel Financial Services is offering a range of new leasing options through its 1500 Intel Product Integrators (IPIs), targeting small and medium businesses with deals starting at £450. There is no maximum spend limit and applications for finance up to £20,000 can be approved within ten minutes, according to John Longergan, …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 16:45
Datrontech: Buy! Buy! Buy! Sell! Sell! Sell

Do you remember?

A while back, Datrontech shares were slumping and slumping, to such an extent that we wrote a story saying more or less the same as the above. Its shares recovered and we had a grateful letter from a reader who said that he'd made a cosy little sum thanks to yours truly... Well, now's the time to consider buying again. Shares …

Business 30 Oct 1998, 16:55