More of Adam’s decent analysis of the trends of the market. Everbody! Get to work on your “wireless strategy” press release.
Wireless is HOT, for sure. Two Canadian companies, Research in Motion (RIM.TO) and Burnaby’s Sierra Wireless (SW.TO).. each of which have seen at least 200% market cap growth in the last year.
That’s a big reason why, after hearing very little from you all, I’ve decided to hold on my PALM shares for a while. 🙂
-Ian.
>Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 02:13:09 -0800 (PST)
>From: Adam Rifkin -4K
>To: fork [at] xent [dot] com
>Subject: CMGi Goes Wireless…
>
>Here’s my “Cliff’s Notes” version of the last five years of Internet
>investment trends. [Yes, I know everyone here is going to disagree with
>me, no need to post your disagreements.]
>
>In 1996, push was hot. Then, instant messaging was hot.
>In 1997, ISPs were hot. Then, portals were hot.
>In 1998, e-commerce was hot. Then, broadband was hot.
>In 1999, infrastructure was hot. Then, b2b was hot.
>In 2000, wireless is hot.
>
>So how does CMGi survive as a publicly traded Internet stock from year
>to year? What it means to be CMGi is this: whatever new hot trend
>emerges in the market, make sure everyone knows that you’re there. It
>was just a matter of time before CMGi announced they have a “wireless
>strategy”, and this one came a good 48 hours before the Ignition article
>in the New York Times that Rohit just forwarded…
>
>Even so, the following is a pretty ballsy claim, being as CMGi knows
>nothing about wireless:
> > “We see more than 50 percent (of new investments) in wireless and
> > broadband,’ Hans Hawrysz, CMGI executive vice president of corporate
> > strategy, said in an interview following a presentation at a PaineWebber
> > Internet conference held here.
>
>CMGi’s usual protocol is to hire experts in the new domains into which
>they are entering, so I’ll be watching for those critical hires.
>In the meantime, the “Big Daddy” of the “Wireless Web” is Infospace —
>or so it has been able to convince the market.
>
>It was just two months ago, after all, that CMGi was hiring b2b experts
>to help them manage their $1 billion b2b fund. (That fund’s latest
>investment, I kid you not, is a $12 million investment in GoFish.com,
>the “Internet’s first seafood market maker” which has closed more than
>$41 million in venture funding during its first six months of
>operations. GoFish is headquartered in that hotbed of Internet
>development: Portland, Maine. 🙂
>
>It’s just business as usual in the “Nasdaq 5000 World”. A world in
>which this week alone Benchmark announced a $500 million European fund,
>and Softbank countered two days later with a $1 billion European fund.
>There is simply way too much liquidity out there to make the bubble
>end anytime soon. [And yes, Rimpinths, you can quote me on that.
>Thanks for forwarding my FoRK comments to The Motley Fool as I’ve been
>too busy lately to post there. :]
>
> > CMGI plans expansion to new markets and regions
> > By Nicole Volpe
> >
> > NEW YORK, March 7 (Reuters) – Internet venture pioneer CMGI Inc. on
> > Tuesday outlined plans for financing the next stages of the Internet
> > revolution, including wireless Web access and Web-enabling businesses,
> > moving beyond its earlier focus on consumer Internet investments.
> >
> > In addition, a CMGI executive, which is known for its early backing of
> > Web companies such as Lycos Inc., said the company would make between
> > one and three acquisitions per month during 2000 in hopes of capturing
> > new hyper-growth markets.
> >
> > “We see more than 50 percent (of new investments) in wireless and
> > broadband,’ Hans Hawrysz, CMGI executive vice president of corporate
> > strategy, said in an interview following a presentation at a PaineWebber
> > Internet conference held here.
> >
> > He was referring to the hot areas of providing high-speed Internet
> > access over cable and phone lines and links to devices such as
> > cellphones. Hawrysz said he was surprised at how recent fascination with
> > wireless Internet access has eclipsed interest in high-speed Internet
> > access as the hottest Internet topic.
> >
> > “One surprising trend is… how broadband has receded and mobile has
> > come up to the front,’ he said. “Wireless has clearly taken over.’
> >
> > Hawrysz said the company would also devote attention and investments
> > toward online services that connect businesses to their suppliers and
> > customers, an area expected to become much larger than current
> > consumer-focused Internet businesses.
> >
> > “We see CMGI…as a competing force in this market as well,’ he said.
> >
> > Andover, Mass.-based CMGI has recently set out plans international
> > expansion through strategic partnerships, to markets such as Asia,
> > Europe and Latin America.
> >
> > CMGI will use partnerships with international heavyweights such as
> > Compaq Computer Corp., the world’s largest computer maker which owns
> > about 17 percent of CMGI, in its bid to branch out, Hawrysz said.
> >
> > CMGI currently maintains a stable of some 65 companies, which
> > collaborate efforts for growth in their respective markets
>
>—-
>Adam [at] 4K-Associates [dot] com
>
>The past may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.
> — Mark Twain