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#Written by David Tam, 1999.           #       
#davidkftam@netscape.net Copyright 1999#  
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From tamda@ecf.toronto.edu Mon Jul 12 18:27:40 1999
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 13:10:30 -0500 (EST)
From: David Kar Fai Tam 
To: APS 424S 
Subject: #12-02/10/99-"JetForm profit warning triggers stock meltdown"


The Globe and Mail, Friday, February 5, 1999. B1, B3.

	The year 2000 bug is having negative effects on the sales 
and shares of software companies. JetForm Corp, based in Ottawa, 
is the latest victim. Because corporations are concerned about 
the year 2000 problem and are devoting most of their IT budget 
and resources towards fixing this problem, this leaves little 
room for the introduction of new software products or software 
upgrades to the corporate market. 

	Many other software companies are facing similar situations 
such as DataMirror Corp of Toronto and PeopleSoft, Inc. Companies 
trying to sell complex software systems to the corporate market 
are being largely ignored. Naturally, companies want to fix their 
year 2000 problems first. However, once the millenium bug frenzy 
has passed, these companies should expect better results.

	This situation leads to interesting insight into the 
software market. Consulting companies that specialize in fixing 
Y2K problems will have great business preparing, modifying, 
testing, assuring, and certifying corporate IT infrastructure for 
the year 2000. They will also have great business immediately 
after the new year by performing damage control and assessment. 
Mean while, software companies which produce productivity 
enhancing corporate products will be largely ignored until a few  
years after the millenium. Once corporations are no longer 
distracted by the millenium, they will want to find methods of 
improving productivity and will turn their attention to these 
software makers once again.

	An interesting aspect of the industry that is currently not 
being ignored is the e-business / internet side. Despite the 
millenium bug, companies heavily involved in the internet and e-
business are performing very well. Perhaps corporate software 
makers such as JetForm and PeopleSoft should try to incorporate 
e-business and internet aspects into their products and target 
corporations which are focusing on enabling their IT for 
electronic commerce.

    Source: geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/9640/4thYear/Business

               ( geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/9640/4thYear)                   ( geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/9640)                   ( geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus)                   ( geocities.com/siliconvalley)