Peoplesoft - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[siscoinvestor]

Monday November 19 12:56 PM ET

Strong Orders to Keep PeopleSoft on Target


By Jennifer Tan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. e-business software maker PeopleSoft Inc. (Nasdaq:PSFT - news) said a robust order pipeline has put it on target to meet its fourth-quarter earnings forecast despite the global economic slowdown.

``As we enter into the fourth quarter, what we`ve seen is one of the strongest pipelines in the company`s history,`` Martin Mackay, vice president for international operations, told Reuters. ``Our current guidance remains in force.``

The positive comments helped pushed up PeopleSoft shares $2.92, or 9 percent, to $35.28 in midday Nasdaq trade, where the stock was among the most active issues.

``They`re one of the few companies in the software space that has executed well throughout the year and hasn`t lowered guidance,`` said Merrill Lynch analyst Craig Wood, who has rated the stock at ``accumulate,`` the firm`s second-highest rating.

``Investors are willing to pay for the visibility that PeopleSoft is perceived to have,`` Wood said. ``Their track record has shown that they`re among the best positioned to weather the economic storm right now.``

The company, which makes the software to automate such business functions as human resources, finance and customer service, said it expects October-December earnings per share to be in line with Wall Street`s consensus target of 16 U.S. cents.

That would put 2001 earnings at 56 cents a share, within the range of PeopleSoft`s original forecast of 55 cents to 60 cents.

In October, the software maker reported a third-quarter profit of $50 million, or 15 cents a share, from recurring operations, up from $23 million, or 8 cents a share, a year earlier and beating Wall Street`s consensus estimate by 3 cents a share.

Revenues rose 15 percent to $509.4 million from a year ago, but were down from $553 million in the second quarter.

OUTSHINING RIVALS

``We are the only enterprise application software vendor to have maintained guidance through the year, in contrast to our competitors who have reduced guidance and reduced guidance on more than one occasion,`` Mackay said.

In the September quarter, PeopleSoft`s software license revenues rose to $151.8 million from $131.5 million a year earlier, but fell from $166 million in the second quarter.

During the same period, rival Siebel Systems Inc.`s (Nasdaq:SEBL - news) license revenue dropped to $193.5 million from $308.8 million last year. Meanwhile, database giant Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL - news) said license revenues for its quarter ended Aug. 31 fell 9 percent to $731.4 million from a year ago.

``It looks as though PeopleSoft could be the only enterprise software company that makes it through calendar 2001 without lowering guidance,`` Lehman Brothers analyst Neil Herman said in a recent note to clients.

Mackay said that although companies have been reviewing their technology spending after the Sept. 11 attacks, the greater returns on investment offered by the flagship PeopleSoft 8 software line have sustained demand.

``The value proposition of PeopleSoft 8`s pure Internet architecture -- in terms of increased productivity and reduced cost -- has been extremely compelling,`` he added.

Deutsche Banc Alex Brown analyst Tim Dolan said that the lower total cost of ownership and quick time to market are key in the current tech spending environment.

``PeopleSoft is the only (enterprise resource planning) vendor that can take advantage of the Internet architecture story,`` he said, ``and we believe it is a major reason PeopleSoft is continuing to do well in the face of a tough buying environment.``

PeopleSoft`s customers include express shipper Federal Express (NYSE:FDX - news), discount broker Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCH - news), carrier Cathay Pacific (0293.HK), Bank of China and Southeast Asia`s largest bank, Development Bank of Singapore (DBSM.SI).

FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL SALES

Mackay said PeopleSoft expects to increase its international revenues by focusing on China and India.

``Two and a half years ago, we derived 17 percent of our total revenues from international operations, and today, it is 40 percent,`` he said. ``This provides a hedge against over-exposure to one single market, which is the U.S.``

The company intends to expand the international share of the business to 45 percent by 2002 and to between 50 percent and 55 percent in the medium to longer term, Mackay said.

``Our fastest-growing international region is Asia Pacific,`` he added.

In the nine months ended Sept. 30, Asia Pacific revenues had expanded 41 percent year-on-year, with Europe, Middle East and Africa rising 20 percent to 25 percent, and Latin America remaining flat, Mackay noted.

With China opening up its economy -- a process that would be accelerated by its recent entry into the World Trade Organization (news - web sites), huge opportunities would surface.

``In the second quarter of 2002,`` Mackay said, ``we will deliver our product in simplified Chinese, and will leverage that product with business partners to target China`s financial services sector and the state-owned enterprises.``

Mal schaun, on PSFT sein "Wort" halten kann...

[adamAG]

@siscoinvestor

kannste mir einen Teil kurz übersetzen. Wäre dir sehr Dankbar.
gruß adam

[siscoinvestor]

hi adamAG,
sorry hatte keine zeit für dich. wenn du des englischen nicht so mächtig bist, empfehle ich http://world.altavista.com/sites/dede/pos/babelfish/trns
ich glaube gehört zu haben, dass viele diesen dienst benutzen. selbst noch nicht ausprobiert.

ansonsten ist das nur eine ausführlichere version des textes der wo-redaktion: ANALYSE - PeopleSoft bekräftigt Prognosen - China im Visier.
Sprich: PSFT ist mit seinen geschäften in line und sie haben ne menge vor. so die kurzfassung.

Für dieses Vertauen, dass die börse in diese firma steckt, musst du halt im vergleich zu den wettbewerbern eben mehr zahlen. SEBL ist schon billiger. sap ist meiner meineung nach teurer als SEBL. aber mein favorit ist halt PSFT. bin aber noch nicht drin. warte noch auf bessere kurse. aber diese kommen unter umständen nicht mehr.

we will see!

mfg siscoinvestor

[siscoinvestor]

6:38 pm PeopleSoft (PSFT) 35.81 -1.05 (-2.9%): Hearing from traders that company sees Q4 earnings of $0.16 a share, which would be in line with current consensus. PSFT is presenting today at the CSFB conference (presentation began at noon).

[siscoinvestor]

7:51AM Goldman on Software : Goldman Sachs issues a mid-quarter update on the software sector; believes that business has picked up but that stock prices already reflect that; says it is most comfortable with large cap vendors such as VRTS, BEAS, MERQ, and PSFT, but notes P/Es are in the 50-65x range and would be buyers only in the 40-50x range; believes that unprofitable applications vendors such as ARBA, CMRC, MONE, MANU, and ITWO are at most risk.

[siscoinvestor]

How PeopleSoft Got Its Immunity to Warning Sickness

By Joe Bousquin
Senior Writer
11/29/2001 06:27 PM EST


This week, software company PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) did the unthinkable. In the midst of a bleak economic outlook, while competitors such as Oracle (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and SAP (SAP:NYSE ADR - news - commentary - research - analysis) have been guiding Wall Street`s expectations lower, PeopleSoft said it was on track for its fourth quarter.

Thing is, at PeopleSoft, that has become par for the course. Not only has the company been immune to the warning sickness -- or worse, the misses -- that has infected its competitors, it has been able to stick by the earnings guidance it issued more than a year ago.

Numbers for PeopleSoft have either remained in line or have actually gone higher. If it can achieve earnings of 16 cents this quarter, as it indicated at the Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Conference this week, it will come out of 2001 unscathed. Yet at the same time, issues surrounding a subsidiary and a drop in the company`s deferred revenue have prompted some investors to question the quality of PeopleSoft`s numbers.

The stock is essentially where it was at the beginning of the year, but it is up 105% since its Oct. 1 closing low of $17.67. Thursday, the stock closed up 78 cents, or 2.2%, at $36.49.

Moving at Internet Speed
So, what`s in PeopleSoft`s secret sauce? One ingredient has been a full overhaul of the company`s software to make it accessible from any computer with an Internet connection, without having to load it on that computer. Because the software doesn`t need to be installed on each user`s PC, it`s easier -- and cheaper -- to maintain. PeopleSoft started selling that flavor of its product a year ago. By contrast, Siebel (SEBL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) just started shipping its own upgraded, Internet-ready software last week.

"They`ve spent a significant amount of time upgrading to an Internet architecture over the past three years, and that`s been met positively by customers," says Tom Berquist, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, which has PeopleSoft on its recommended list, its highest rating. "And the new product came at a time when the economy was slowing, which caused more companies to focus on lowering costs. That was aligned with PeopleSoft having the Internet architecture, which helps reduce costs." (Goldman has done underwriting for PeopleSoft.)

Of course, like any rise on Wall Street, PeopleSoft`s story has to be considered in context. After all, as recently as 1998, many considered the company to be on the brink of disaster as sales slowed and competition got fiercer. That was before current CEO Craig Conway arrived at the company, and before the product upgrade, which has kept sales going at a time when they`ve stalled for other firms.

"Part of the question with PeopleSoft is how much they`re making up for lost time," says Bob Austrian, an analyst at Banc of America Securities who has a market performer rating on PeopleSoft. "Siebel, for instance, had a phenomenal 1999 and 2000, and is now running at two-thirds of its peak. PeopleSoft had a lousy 1999 and began firing on all cylinders in late 2000, so you get the idea." (His firm hasn`t done underwriting for the company.)

Though PeopleSoft`s products have gotten good reviews from customers initially, Austrian says, the fascination with Internet-enabled software will eventually wane, and that could affect PeopleSoft.

Counting on the Big Mo
And of course, the company`s relationship with its Momentum Business Applications (MMTM:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) subsidiary has raised questions in some investors` minds.

PeopleSoft launched Momentum as a wholly owned research and development subsidiary in 1998, and seeded it with $250 million.

Under that arrangement, Momentum pays PeopleSoft to do research for it. PeopleSoft then licenses the resulting products from Momentum and sells them under the PeopleSoft name. To keep the relationship at arm`s length, PeopleSoft pays Momentum a small royalty fee on the products it sells.

That arrangement has sheltered PeopleSoft from some of the high cost of developing software products at a time when other firms have had to invest heavily in that area.

"We needed to completely rearchitect the 108 products we had, and come out with about 60 new products to take advantage of the Web and drive revenue growth in the future," said David Sankaran, PeopleSoft`s head of investor relations. "The problem was with the R&D cost and hiring all the people necessary to do that, it would have put the company in the red."

Analysts say Momentum-type arrangements are common in industries with high R&D costs, such as the pharmaceutical sector. But because it`s not practiced widely in software -- and because it has protected PeopleSoft`s bottom-line as others have struggled -- skeptics abound.

Nathan Schneiderman, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities, says that had PeopleSoft incurred all research and development costs itself in 2000, it would have earned only 8 cents a share for the year, instead of the 30 cents it reported. He wonders what will happen when PeopleSoft phases out Momentum, as it is expected to do in the first half of 2002.

"The company is going to have to pay for a lot of R&D that it`s not paying for right now," Schneiderman says. "Our notion is that PeopleSoft will become more challenged, and that the company will need more general acceleration in the economy to achieve its results."

PeopleSoft, however, says that`s flawed logic, because it would not have spent as much on R&D if it didn`t have Momentum. "I do argue with the premise," Sankaran says. "It assumes we would have built all those 60 products and put the company in a loss. But our board said no, you can`t do that. There`s no doubt in my mind that [without Momentum] , we would have missed the market opportunity for those products."

Dissecting the Revenue Numbers
Because Momentum actually contributes to PeopleSoft`s revenue, Schneiderman says PeopleSoft will have to make up for that lost revenue just to stay on a flat growth curve.

Sankaran says the company has already pared those revenues -- from a high of $36 million at its peak to $23 million in the third quarter of this year to an anticipated $15 million during the current quarter.

"We do get revenue from [Momentum] , but the revenue from the products we`ve been able to develop through it should kick in more than enough to make up for it," Sankaran says. "The products we`re selling are generating far more than $10 million to $15 million of product revenues. That`s why this has been a pretty good tool for us over time."

Aside from the Momentum issue, there also have been questions about a drop in the company`s deferred revenue. Software companies often collect revenue upfront for services on contracts they carry out over time and put the money in the deferred-revenue column until services are rendered. On a 12-month contract, for instance, a company would recognize one-twelfth of that upfront payment each month.

Usually, deferred revenue grows in line with actual revenue. But while PeopleSoft`s overall revenue has grown from $375 million in the first quarter of 2000 to $509 million during this year`s third quarter, the company`s deferred revenues have decreased from $524 million to $502 million during the same period.

That causes Schneiderman to worry that PeopleSoft has been dipping into its deferred revenues to build up its top line. That, in combination with the points raised above, is the real secret behind PeopleSoft`s success, he says. "The Momentum relationship and the deferred revenue have allowed PeopleSoft to maneuver through this difficult environment where companies like Siebel, that have a much bigger deal focus and higher deferred revenues, have had a much tougher time."

Sankaran says that`s not so. What happened, he says, is that PeopleSoft, under Conway`s leadership, has gotten much stricter with the terms it offers customers. So, instead of selling a customer a product, it`s now requiring customers to pay within 30 or 60 days, and then it recognizes that money immediately on the top line, and this has helped with its revenue growth.

In fact, because of those tighter policies, Sankaran says only $17 million of the company`s $502 million in deferred revenue is still derived from direct software sales. The remaining $485 million comes from software maintenance fees, one of the most lucrative forms of revenue in the software business. Sankaran says deferred revenue will begin to rise again as more maintenance fees are added and fewer deferred software sales need to come out of the column.

Sankaran acknowledges that investors have had questions about the two issues and that he`s had to explain the company`s numbers numerous times. "There`s clearly a lot of noise level around this," he says. But from his view, PeopleSoft`s real secret is that its sales force has executed well with more, good products to offer at a time the market wants them, and with vigilant attention to which deals will close and which ones won`t during trying economic times.

If PeopleSoft can meet its goals this quarter, it will have done its job just fine in 2001.

http://www.thestreet.com/tech/joebousquin/10004670.html

__________________________________________________________


Goldman Sachs zu Software-Branche

Mittwoch, 28. November 2001 Die Analysten aus dem Brokerhaus Goldman Sachs haben sich heute zu mehreren Software-Aktien geäussert. Nach Meinung der Analysten habe sich zwar das Geschäft verbessert, dies werde jedoch in den Kusen bereits eskomptiert. Die Analysten seien zwar sicher, dass Unternehmen wie Veritas Software (NASD: VRTS, WKN: 888 990), BEA Systems (NASD: BEAS, WKN: 906 523), Mercury Interactive (NASD: MERQ, WKN: 890 463) und PeopleSoft (NASD: PSFT, WKN: 885 132) ihre Planungen für das laufende Quartal erfüllen würden. Die KGVs dieser Unternehmen lägen jedoch zur Zeit zwischen 50-65. Ein Einstieg sei erst zwischen 40-50 ratsam. Unternehmen die immer noch rote Zahlen schreiben, wie z.B. Ariba (NASD: ARBA, WKN: 923 835), Commerce One (NASD: CMRC, WKN: 924 107), Manugistics Group (NASD: MANU, WKN: 887 347) und i2 Technologies (NASD: ITWO, WKN: 900 424), könnten auch in diesem Quartal ihre Planungen verfehlen.

www.us-market.de

[siscoinvestor]

Monday December 3, 5:06 pm Eastern Time
Stocks in popular software segment trade lower
By Lisa Baertlein

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec 3 (Reuters) - Shares of many customer relationship management (CRM) software vendors finished lower on Monday, still smarting after bearish comments last week from analysts and the sector`s No. 1 player suggested that a recovery for the sector may be further off than thought.


The stock of Siebel Systems Inc. (NasdaqNM:SEBL - news) -- the world`s biggest provider of selling and customer service software -- fell more than 5 percent to close at $21.20 on Nasdaq. Around this time last year, the company`s stock touched a 52-week high of $104.25.

On Thursday Siebel founder and Chief Executive Tom Siebel told attendees at a technology conference in Arizona that the third quarter appeared to have marked the bottom for the information software industry.

His comment sounded like good news for the CRM sector and its dominant dominant player -- until Siebel said his comment did not mean that his own company had yet seen the worst this recession has to offer.

``The big question is duration,`` Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Brent Thill told Reuters on Monday. ``How long will we stay in a trough? How long will it take to rebuild?``

Rather than a strong rebound, Thill said, indications are pointing to a slow, steady recovery for the CRM sector.

To that end, the Aberdeen Group Inc. said in a report issued on Wednesday that spending linked to CRM projects should soon be shaking off its current slump -- but that strong growth probably would not resume until 2003.

Best guesstimates from executives at the industry`s major players had suggested a turnabout in the middle or end of 2002.

Working with data culled from 157 countries, Boston-based Aberdeen said it expects total spending on CRM software, services and hardware to shrink during the third and fourth quarters of 2001, but an overall spending increase of 9.1 percent when compared with 2000 levels.

Aberdeen forecast 14.1 percent growth in 2002 and said CRM`s recovery should come the following year when its growth rate is expected to hit 23.9 percent and total spending is predicted to reach $19 billion.

CONTRARIANS

While CRM giant Siebel reported third-quarter software license revenues that fell 37 percent from year-ago levels -- competitor PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM:PSFT - news) said its relatively new business selling Internet-based CRM products was growing.

PeopleSoft shares ended unchanged at $34.91 on Nasdaq, as Standard & Poor`s computer software index tiptoed into negative territory.

``For us it`s not a matter of rebound,`` Robb Eklund, vice president of CRM product marketing at PeopleSoft, recently told Reuters.

``We`re weathering this storm well,`` said Eklund, who added that PeopleSoft is focused on increasing its share of the CRM market with its Internet-based offerings.

That echoed the sentiment at Aberdeen, where researchers predicted that big CRM vendors will continue to grow and expand their reach.

To that end, investors and CRM software vendors will be closely monitoring how sales and upgrades of Siebel`s long-awaited, and recently released, Internet-based software proceed.

While most of the vendors that work in the CRM software space agree that the landscape is changing with the industry`s move to the Web, some smaller players say they will not succumb to Siebel, which sells the broadest offering of CRM products.

Pivotal Corp. (NasdaqNM:PVTL - news) Chief Executive Bo Manning said that with the new release, Siebel took ``a humongous piece of very complex, feature-bloated, software and made it more humongous.``

Manning and executives from such CRM providers as PeopleSoft, Oracle Corp. (NasdaqNM: ORCL - news), SAP AG and E.piphany Inc. (NasdaqNM:EPNY - news) say that users want software that is less expensive and quicker to install than Siebel`s products tend to be.

``Customers want easy to use, easy to implement software that can deliver business results in 3 to 6 months for a fraction of the cost of humongous software,`` Manning said.

Shares of both Pivotal and E.piphany finished lower.

Elsewhere, the stock of Europe`s largest software group SAP AG, got a lift on Monday after a senior company executive said its software orders were again picking up after ceasing in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Kana (NasdaqNM:KANA - news), the once financially strapped CRM company that in June extended its life through a merger with Broadbase Software Inc., said Thursday it had lined up as much as $55 million in equity financing amid a funding drought that is expected to contribute to the demise of numerous small, as-yet unprofitable software companies.

The seller of software that manages automated customer service activities via the Internet also said it expects to break-even -- before merger-related and noncash charges. Its shares lost 7 cents to close at $1.73.

[stmk-guru1]

Hallo siscoinvestor
Vielen Dank für diese Meldung. Kannst du sie mir aber auch auf deutsch verständlich machen. danke dir

[siscoinvestor]

Tuesday January 29, 3:56 pm Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: PeopleSoft, Inc.

PeopleSoft Announces Global Expansion of PeopleSoft eCenter
HP Selected to Manage Industry-Leading Application Hosting Business

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2002--PeopleSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq:PSFT - news) today announced the global expansion of PeopleSoft eCenter, the industry`s leading application hosting solution. PeopleSoft eCenter has been recognized by both customers and industry analysts as a leader in delivering hosted solutions for organizations, ranging in size from Fortune 500 to mid-market companies.

Building on its proven success in North America, PeopleSoft eCenter will rapidly expand its business globally, providing organizations worldwide with the same benefits realized by current eCenter customers. These benefits include single-vendor accountability, rapid deployment, and unique application expertise. Delivering PeopleSoft pure internet applications through the eCenter hosting solution enables customers to focus on their core business competencies and entrust the management of their enterprise applications to PeopleSoft.

PeopleSoft selected Hewlett-Packard Company to provide the technical operations, infrastructure and services needed to extend PeopleSoft eCenter globally. PeopleSoft chose HP for its established global infrastructure and reputation for commitment to customer service. HP Services will manage the people, process, and technology for the PeopleSoft eCenter technical operations. In addition, PeopleSoft eCenter customers will benefit from a comprehensive range of HP Services` offerings, including desktop and network management, data security, high-level disaster recovery, and enterprise integration services.

``PeopleSoft eCenter has been a tremendous success in North America, contributing significant license and services revenue to the company,`` said Craig A. Conway, CEO and president of PeopleSoft. ``Expanding our industry leading solution globally will enable us to rapidly extend the success of this business without the associated infrastructure costs.``

``The PeopleSoft eCenter solution is a great example of empowering customers by giving them the ability to purchase computing as a service,`` said Ann Livermore, president of HP Services. ``This is another demonstration that HP has the expertise to operate and manage global IT infrastructures to provide customers with the flexible internet solutions they demand.``

``PeopleSoft eCenter and HP Services are combining their individual core competencies -- enterprise software and widely available infrastructure services, respectively,`` said Stephen Graham, vice president of Global Software Partnering and Alliances with IDC. ``This solution delivers industry-leading applications and deep service capabilities that directly target evolving demand from ASP customers for flexible delivery backed by solid integration and support.``

About PeopleSoft eCenter

PeopleSoft eCenter is the industry`s leading solution for deploying, hosting and managing PeopleSoft pure internet enterprise applications. eCenter provides customers with a choice for their enterprise application management needs, offering an end-to-end, scalable, secure and affordable hosting solution. eCenter delivers a single point of accountability, rapid deployment, and ongoing service and support, enabling customers to focus on their core business and entrust the management of their PeopleSoft enterprise applications to PeopleSoft.

About PeopleSoft

PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT - news) is the world`s leading provider of business enterprise software. PeopleSoft pure internet software enables organizations to reduce costs and increase productivity through real-time collaboration with their customers, suppliers, and employees. PeopleSoft`s integrated, best-of-breed applications include Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, and Application Infrastructure. More than 4,700 organizations in 107 countries run on PeopleSoft software. For more information, visit us at www.peoplesoft.com.

Note to Editors: PeopleSoft and the PeopleSoft logo are registered trademarks. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Statements made in this press release that state PeopleSoft`s or its management`s intentions, beliefs, expectations, or predictions for the future are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. The specific forward-looking statements relate to such matters as PeopleSoft`s and eCenter`s competitive position, planned service offerings, and anticipated market acceptance of existing products and services as well as those under development. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause PeopleSoft`s actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. These risks, assumptions and uncertainties include: economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; the ability to complete and deliver products and services within currently estimated time frames and budgets and with third parties with whom PeopleSoft has entered into agreements; the ability to achieve revenues from products and services that are under development; competitive and pricing pressures; and other risks referenced from time to time in PeopleSoft`s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Please refer to the Company`s annual report to shareholders (Form 10-K) and subsequent filings on Form 10-Q for more information on the risk factors that could cause actual results to differ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[siscoinvestor]

COMPANIES & FINANCE INTERNATIONAL: PeopleSoft tracking takeover target SOFTWARE SILICON VALLEY GROUP TO USE SOME OF ITS Dollars 1.7bn CASH PILE FOR SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT ACQUISITION:

Financial Times; Feb 4, 2002
By CAROLINE DANIEL


PeopleSoft, the Silicon Valley software group, is looking to use some of its Dollars 1.7bn cash pile for an acquisition in supply-chain management, according to a leading executive.

Craig Conway, president and chief executive, said he wanted to increase PeopleSoft`s market position in supply-chain management software from number four to number one or two.

"To gain significant ground, there are mid-sized and large companies that are very reasonably valued today, which we are continuing to eyeball," he said. He cited i2 and Manugistics as the leading vendors, valued respectively at Dollars 3.2bn and Dollars 1.1bn, but added: "There is a whole collection of players in the industry that are less name recognised, (but) which are viable companies."

Mr Conway said PeopleSoft would "prefer to use cash for acquisitions, because of the accounting treatment. It is a very painless way of acquiring somebody."

Mr Conway did not expect a deal in the next 60 days and had not yet made a formal approach.

But he conceded that PeopleSoft was under time pressure as confidence in the sector returned, valuations were rising. "There is a clock ticking so loudly it is almost irritating," he said.

Last week, PeopleSoft announced fourth-quarter results ahead of expectations, reporting a 30 per cent rise in revenues during 2001. The company also reported strong European growth, suggesting that analysts` fears of a heavy slowdown in European IT spending had been overplayed.

"Europe came back for us quite strongly in the fourth quarter, as strongly as the US," he said. "There wasn`t really any lag. The third quarter was the weakest."

Mr Conway expected more bankruptcies in the software sector and expressed doubts that Commerce One, the US software group, would be able to survive the fallout of its partnership with SAP, the German software vendor. This month, SAP said it had scaled back its 20-month partnership.

"One-third of Commerce One`s revenues come directly from SAP. They were already on life support," he said.

Mr Conway added: ""SAP is a very shrewd company - when it realises it is behind it looks to innovative leaders to forge strategic partnerships. Then it sucks the technology lifeblood into SAP so they can do it themselves."

When PeopleSoft reported its full-year results, it also said it would acquire Momentum Business Applications, its controversial R&D spin-off. However, Mr Conway denied the move had been prompted by accounting concerns in the wake of Enron.

[oukej]

Und was wird heute 14.2.2002 mit Peoplesoft ??????????????
Es mag nicht zu wachsen ??????????????
Hat es schlechte Bilanz vorgelegt ??????????
oder noch nicht vorgelegt ?????????

[siscoinvestor]

Analysts: Enterprise Software Stocks Warming Up
Mon Feb 11, 1:36 PM ET
Lou Hirsh, www.CRMDaily.com

With the economy likely to remain in recovery mode for the rest of 2002 and possibly into next year, analysts specializing in CRM-related stocks do not foresee the kind of red-hot growth enjoyed by some software and technology companies in the late 1990s.

But current moves by corporations to boost information technology spending -- aimed at making operations more competitive and cost-effective -- should translate into significant revenue growth for companies that sell CRM and enterprise management software, with a corresponding boost in their stock prices.

Jon Ekoniak, a senior research analyst for US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, told CRMDaily.com he foresees particularly strong growth prospects for companies involved in CRM analytics.

Based on increasing demand for analytical software in a number of industries, the sector could see revenue growth of 30 percent to 35 percent in the next two to three years, Ekoniak said. In that category, the analyst is bullish on the prospects of Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJ - news), Cognos (Nasdaq: COGN - news) and Informatica (Nasdaq: INFA - news).

Ekoniak said another analytics company that looks strong for the near term is privately held SAS Institute.

Great Communicators

The next most active group, according to Ekoniak, will be those companies dealing with software that eases direct interaction and communication with customers. He singled out Siebel Systems (Nasdaq: SEBL - news), PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT - news) and SAP (NYSE: SAP - news) for growth in that category.

Ekoniak said this IT sector could see up to 25 percent growth in revenues, possibly beyond the next three years. "We`re looking at a few years of good solid growth in this area," he said.

The analyst believes that companies specializing in enterprise resource management (ERP) will likely see 15 percent to 20 percent growth in the next couple of years because the sector is more mature than others.

Most new ERP purchases will involve companies looking to update their Web architecture to complement existing accounting, manufacturing and human resources systems. That should spell good news for companies such as SAP, Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL - news) and PeopleSoft, Ekoniak said.

ERP in the Pipeline

Analysts at Lehman Brothers also are positive on IT software vendors. In a recent research report, Lehman analyst Neil Herman said companies looking to boost return on investment and cut expenses are increasing their spending on enterprise systems.

"Ahead of the quarters to be reported, we favor PeopleSoft and Veritas (Nasdaq: VRTS - news)," Herman said. "We also believe that BEA Systems (Nasdaq: BEAS - news) is very well positioned. We believe that business and pipelines are picking up at all three of these companies."

Herman noted that the focus among IT purchasers appears to be on large vendors that have established themselves as leaders in their segments. "We believe that ERP is leading the charge," Herman said.

`Compelling` Case

The Lehman report cited a "quite compelling" case for an improving climate among larger companies dealing in IT software, with companies becoming "cautiously optimistic" as balance sheets show significant improvements over the past 12 months.

"Despite our view of [an] anemic fourth quarter budget flush, we believe most of the higher quality software companies made Q4 numbers and that pipelines have appreciably improved in the early part of the first quarter," the report said.

"We believe that these are the first signals of a long, gentle, sustained improvement of fundamentals in the software sector," Herman noted. "Although senior level execs of software companies are unlikely to try and call a turnaround at this early stage, if we are right, by the time it is apparent, software stocks would likely have had a substantial run."

Company stocks listed as a strong buy in the Lehman report include Advent Software (Nasdaq: ADVS - news), BEA Systems, Click Commerce (Nasdaq: CKCM - news), Embarcadero Technologies (Nasdaq: EMBT - news), Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN - news), Mercury Interactive (Nasdaq: MERQ - news), Micromuse Inc. (Nasdaq: MUSE - news), PeopleSoft, SAP and Veritas.

Supply-Chain Benefits

US Bancorp`s Ekoniak said that although his research does not include supply-chain firms, he expects that sector also could see revenue growth of 20 percent in the near term, led by companies such as I2 Technologies (Nasdaq: ITWO - news), Manugistics (Nasdaq: MANU - news) and SAP.

In a difficult economy, companies are primarily interested in increasing productivity and making more effective use of personnel and data. Ekoniak said this bodes well for CRM and enterprise software companies, especially those with existing installed bases.

"The outlook is very positive for these companies," Ekoniak said. "Software has become an integral part of the operations of most businesses, and that`s going to remain true in this environment."

----------------------------------------------------------


Tech Stocks : Software

PeopleSoft Regains Momentum, but Lugs Some Baggage

By Ronna Abramson
Staff Reporter
02/06/2002 09:33 AM EST


When will Momentum (MMTM:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) start living up to its name for PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis)?

Since PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) announced Jan. 24 that it would buy back Momentum Business Applications, a company it spun off in 1998, the software maker`s shares have continued on a downward slide. Wary of accounting issues in the era of Enron and confused by how the acquisition will affect PeopleSoft, many investors are simply staying away.


The Momentum spinoff has raised eyebrows in the past about whether PeopleSoft was using it as a shelter from high software-development costs. Now that PeopleSoft is ending the relationship, investors are wondering what the impact will be on PeopleSoft`s bottom line.

"I think they`ve got to resolve [the question of handling Momentum costs] , and clearly in the Enronitis environment we`re in now, anything that smacks of or hints at off balance sheet is something you want to be out of," said analyst Ian Morton of J.P. Morgan H&Q. He rates PeopleSoft long-term buy and his firm has no banking relationship with PeopleSoft.

PeopleSoft shares rose 0.2% Tuesday to close at $30.32. But that`s still down 21% percent from Jan. 24`s close of $38.43 and down nearly 25% from Dec. 31. By contrast, Oracle (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) has seen its shares rise 14.5% and Siebel (SEBL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) shares have gone up 20.4% since the beginning of the year.

A `Battleground Stock`
Ian Murray, a portfolio manager at Straus Asset Management in New York, says he`s avoided PeopleSoft, which he calls "a battleground stock. People are very passionate on both sides, so it becomes a very difficult stock to take a position in."

"You can talk to intelligent people on both sides and both sound correct," Murray said. And he was among the investors who said PeopleSoft was "pretty good" at explaining how the Momentum acquisition will affect its income statement at a technology conference last week.

Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at a New York hedge fund, acknowledges he doesn`t have the accounting expertise to fully decipher PeopleSoft`s explanations for Momentum, and that`s enough to turn him off the stock. "We were thinking of buying PeopleSoft, but after these events and listening to what we have heard, we don`t want to put money where there is even a hint of accounting issues," he said.

PeopleSoft may be able to close the final chapter on the Momentum saga this quarter, when it plans to purchase the spinoff for $90 million. With $250 million in funding from PeopleSoft, Momentum paid PeopleSoft to write code for PeopleSoft Version 8, racking up between $25 million and $30 million in net losses each quarter for the past year.

Those payments for staff and equipment were booked as revenue by PeopleSoft, which took a $175 million charge in 1998 to spin off Momentum. Although this was legal at the time, the Securities and Exchange Commission has since barred companies from such practices.

The question that has confused Chowdhry and others is what will happen to PeopleSoft`s income statement now that it`s pulling Momentum back into its fold. PeopleSoft maintains the Momentum acquisition will have "no material effect" on its income statement, although it says it will not lay off any employees.

The $90 million that PeopleSoft is paying for Momentum would have otherwise been incurred in royalty payments to the company, said PeopleSoft spokesman Steve Swasey. But the question remains, what happens to Momentum`s $25 million in quarterly R&D costs?

Asked that at a Banc of America Securities technology conference last week, David Sankaran, PeopleSoft`s vice president of investor relations, suggested that PeopleSoft had accounted for Momentum expenses on its income statement under a line called "cost of development and other services," which totaled $16.9 million in the fourth quarter.

PeopleSoft accounts for its own research and development costs on another line called "product development expense," which totaled $75.2 million in the fourth quarter. PeopleSoft expects the total of those two lines, about $91 million, to remain constant, as costs associated with Momentum disappear and migrate from the first line to the second.

Sankaran was unavailable for follow-up questions, and spokesman Swasey said the company is declining to talk any further about how Momentum affects the company`s income statement. "As a matter of course we`re not getting into that level of detail," he said.

Mo`s Side Effects
Analysts say PeopleSoft will have to either increase revenue or cut costs to offset the effects of the Momentum acquisition.

Bob Austrian, managing director at Banc of America Securities, is expecting a decline in R&D spending. "I`ve generally cut expenses and been more cautious on revenues," said Austrian, who has a market perform rating on PeopleSoft. "I think that it`s more likely that revenue growth is more difficult but can be accommodated through lower costs." His firm has no banking relationship with PeopleSoft.

PeopleSoft, which exceeded analyst expectations nine quarters in a row, has projected a 15% increase in license revenue in 2002, and 10% growth in service revenue. The company forecast operating margins will increase in 2002 to 15% from 12% last year.

Analyst Morton suggested PeopleSoft no longer will need all of its engineers who had worked under Momentum on PeopleSoft 8, comparing them with a crew constructing a new building. "You probably don`t need to keep those people on the payroll because the building is built," Morton said.

-------------------------------------------------------

Siebel drops the A-word at conference
Commentary: `Enron déjà vu` in software accounting?

By Mike Tarsala, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 12:02 AM ET Feb. 6, 2002


LA QUINTA, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Salvos almost always fly fast and low between technology executives, but Tom Siebel may be the first to use the "A-word" against the competition.


It may be one of the first battles in an industrywide public relations war over accounting and income statement credibility.

Taking advantage of the political fallout of the Enron collapse, the CEO of Siebel Systems (SEBL: news, chart, profile) used a keynote appearance at the annual Goldman Sachs Technology Symposium to publicly lambaste what he says are inflated sales claims by his major software competitors -- Oracle, SAP and, especially, PeopleSoft.

"We have some very aggressive accounting practices out there," Siebel said. "It`s unfortunate ... In this industry, everybody kind of winks at it. This is Enron déjà vu."

"People unfortunately are making investments based on these numbers that wouldn`t pass the loosest of accounting standards," Siebel went on to say, in front of a crowd of hundreds of institutional investors.

Siebel began an on-stage tirade of competitors` accounting with a thinly veiled attack on PeopleSoft (PSFT: news, chart, profile) -- one of the few players out there with the technology to seriously mount a challenge to his own company`s customer-relationship-management software.

To put it mildly, Siebel took exception with one of his rivals making revenue from what under most circumstances would be a product development expense.

Without naming PeopleSoft by name, Siebel described many of the details surrounding PeopleSoft`s move to set up a company called Momentum Business Applications in 1998, with $250 million. Momentum was responsible for writing much of the software code for PeopleSoft 8, the parent company`s flagship product.

Using some creative accounting, Momentum signed up PeopleSoft as a subcontractor to do most of the PeopleSoft 8 development work. The arrangement allowed PeopleSoft to boost sales from what would have otherwise been a flat-out expense that diminished earnings. PeopleSoft ended up writing off only about two-thirds of the $715 million it took to develop PeopleSoft 8.

"They have this shell corporation with one employee making about $200,000 a year ... Andersen signs off on it and says it`s great," Siebel said to the crowd, in an apparent reference to Momentum`s only permanent employee.

What`s more, PeopleSoft spun out Momentum (MMTM: news, chart, profile) as a separate publicly traded company, which once carried a $97 million market value.

On PeopleSoft`s Jan. 24 conference call, CEO Craig Conway announced plans to buy back Momentum for $90 million, amortized on PeopleSoft`s balance sheet over the next five years.

Difference of opinion

For its part, PeopleSoft reiterated this week that it`s done nothing wrong in using Momentum to develop its main product. The accounting involved had the blessing of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Accounting Standards Board years ago, says Steve Swasey, PeopleSoft spokesman.

"The whole Momentum thing was a smart financial decision," Swasey says. "We took a $175 million charge to create Momentum in 1998. The whole thing has been accounted for."

Besides, he added, the arrangement was made public in 30 separate government filings. It`s something that those investors who were paying attention knew about long before the Enron scandal hit, and long before Tom Siebel drudged it up yet again.

But Siebel didn`t stop at taking on PeopleSoft. He also used his time on stage to take aim at Oracle (ORCL: news, chart, profile) and SAP (SAP: news, chart, profile) for overstating their growth in CRM software.

He took SAP to task for breaking out CRM software sales, although the company sells a suite of products that includes CRM. He says Siebel Systems rarely competes with SAP`s software, and challenged the company to prove it has a single customer with 1,000 CRM users.

"Auditors are calling to see there`s no CRM business there," Siebel said.

Siebel criticized Oracle for listing a percentage growth rate for CRM software in the past, without a corresponding revenue number in dollars.

Oracle only puts out the number when the sales growth rate is favorable to the company, he says, adding that Oracle has stopped talking about CRM in recent quarters.

"These claims for CRM revenue are simply fiction," Siebel said.

Others have their say

While they weren`t nearly as outspoken as Siebel, other executives from big software companies also started throwing around the A-word in recent days.

"In today`s come-clean environment, conservatism has come back in vogue," Microsoft CFO John Connors said at the conference, suggesting that even though all competitors don`t play by the rules, Microsoft is above board when it comes to accounting.

Jeff Henley, Oracle`s CFO, said his company employs "conservative" accounting practices, unlike some competitors. Oracle doesn`t report pro forma results, and it typically has no big write-offs of any sort, he says.

So far, it seems, that Microsoft, Oracle and the lot of technology executives are playing accounting defense rather than offense. But it may be only a short time before they find a self-serving reason to also go on the attack with the A-word, raising the odds of taking competitors` stocks down with them.

Mike Tarsala is a San Francisco-based reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com.


siscoinvestor

[oukej]

Danke für den Roman !
Also sollte Aktie Peoplesoft jetzt steigen ?

[siscoinvestor]

@oukej

irgenwann bestimmt.
ich denke dass es ziemlich vom markt selbst abhängt. auch wenn sich psft oder andere auf den kopf stellen sollten, werden sie nur gemässigten beifall kriegen. bei bad news ( sehe ibm + nvidia ) dagegen gibs richtig was auf den deckel!

be caitious!

-----------------------------------------------

und nun allg. zur softwarebranche:

Software Deja Vu: Looking Forward Is a Lot Like Looking Back

By Ronna Abramson
Staff Reporter
02/18/2002 09:41 AM EST


Rewind to 1996 and you`ll get a glimpse of software`s outlook this year.

That was the take of Oracle (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) Senior VP George Roberts, head of North America sales, at the company`s recent analyst day, and many software industry watchers agree it`s a fair characterization.


After all, 1996 was before Y2K and the dot-com boom drove tech spending -- and share prices -- into the stratosphere.

These days, IT budgets have moved back to levels of leaner times. Merrill Lynch estimates a recovery in software will trail the economy and be more muted, with IT spending flat to up 3% in 2002 from 2001.

But that`s not to say software technology isn`t moving forward, too. Software is still "almost absurdly profitable" with high gross margins and little capital investment required, concluded Merrill Lynch`s global software research group in a weekly newsletter published earlier this month.

Security and analytics are proving to be software bright spots. But investors beware: There`s plenty of hype surrounding security, as well as the latest software sector du jour in software -- Web services. Integration is another popular buzzword, but there`s debate about the long-term fate of middleware software suppliers in the wake of Web services. Meanwhile, the has-beens from the `90s business-to-business area will have to morph into supply-chain management specialists to survive.

Here we take a closer look at those major areas of the software market and their prospects for the next year or so.


Security
The Bush administration`s recent emphasis on homeland security, including cyberterrorism, in the next fiscal year federal budget has fed the flames that have made security stocks hot.

Related Stories
Survey Finds IT Demand Is Rebounding
Bill Gates Kicks Off Another .Net Roadshow
Network Associates Moves to Big Board


Even if IT spending is flat in 2002, security will show healthy growth in 2002 because companies are shifting their dollars in that direction, said Sterling Auty, an analyst with JP Morgan H&Q.

So why be cautious? Douglas Sabo, manager of government relations at Network Associates (NET:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis), said the president has proposed $4.2 billion specifically for cybersecurity -- a 60% increase from a year ago. Network Associates, however, draws only a small portion of its revenue from the federal government, he noted.

In addition, Congress hasn`t passed any appropriations bills yet, so the numbers can change, said Israel Hernandez, a senior analyst with Lehman Brothers. And security-software makers are unlikely to sustain their substantial sequential growth in the fourth quarter -- pro forma earnings for Network Associates more than quadrupled -- because that was largely driven by virus attacks. Still, "those seem incessant in nature," said Hernandez. "There`s enough growth there to sustain valuations."

Hernandez rates Network Associates strong buy and Symantec (SYMC:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) buy because he likes both stocks` valuations. He also has a buy on Internet Security Systems (ISSX:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), which he said is more expensive but still has strong fundamentals. Of those three, his firm has done banking business with only Network Associates.


Analytics
A less sexy software area poised to take off is analytics, which pulls together information from multiple sources to provide detail such as which customers are most profitable -- without forcing an executive to wade through several reports to figure that out.

There`s no strong leader, but big players such as Oracle, PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), Siebel (SEBL:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and SAP (SAP:NYSE ADR - news - commentary - research - analysis) are battling against smaller pure-plays such as Informatica (INFA:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), Business Objects (BOBJ:Nasdaq ADS - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Cognos (COGN:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis). Since Jan. 1, Business Objects shares have increased 16.6% and Cognos has gone up 14%, while Informatica has fallen 21.3%.

"Companies have spent millions and millions of dollars putting in ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning] and CRM [Customer Relationship Management] systems. They`re great. They`re the backbone of the enterprise," explained Jon Ekoniak, a senior research analyst with U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. "But they generate a ton of information: It creates information overload."

Joshua Greenbaum, a technology consultant and principal at Enterprise Applications Consulting in Daly City, Calif., thinks the recent Enron debacle also will fuel more interest in analytics. "The whole issue of oversight is becoming even more critical, and it`s not just oversight on a quarterly basis from the CFO side. It`s oversight of the entire business," he said. "I think these analytics are going to become much more popular as companies say, `I don`t want to be Enroned by my own company.` "


The Big Guys
Overall, the big enterprise-software makers have expressed optimism about the full year. That goes for CRM giant Siebel, expected to increase earnings 20.4% this year, and SAP, expected to boost earnings 33.3%, according to Thomson Financial/First Call. PeopleSoft CEO Craig Conway also is among the enterprise-software executives who have used the "O" word. And for good reason: Wall Street expects PeopleSoft to increase earnings 23.7% this year.

Oracle is the only big player whose earnings are forecast to be flat for the year, because its application business has stumbled and its database business has suffered competition from IBM (IBM:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis).

While those are formidable foes, Oracle may be taking the conservative route. "Oracle is still considered the gold standard in the [database] market," said technology consultant Greenbaum. "Its users are everywhere. The people who have trained on Oracle are all over the market." He also praised the company`s latest integration technology. "If they can go out and execute sales and marketing, they`ve got the technology to do it," he said.


Web Services
Of course, all of the major players are betting big-time on Web services, but no one more so than Microsoft. Today, the Redmond, Wash., giant launched a $200 million advertising campaign for its .Net initiative, promising businesses a way to integrate all of their business systems through Web services.

But there`s still disagreement about what, exactly, Web services are. To some, they`re no more than the XML standard that allows different applications to talk to each other. Daryl Plummer, Gartner Dataquest`s group vice president for software infrastructure, considers Web services one step along the way to delivering software as a service with steady revenue streams rather than as a shrink-wrapped, off-the-shelf product.

But most agree that there are still plenty of hurdles, including security issues and the longevity of legacy systems, which some predict will survive for still 20 more years. That means Web services is unlikely to take off in any major way this year.

And then there are skeptics like Greenbaum, who considers Web services just another software integration play. "I think Web services is a shadow game trying to become the next big thing. I think it`s the next small thing," he said. "The next big thing is there is no next big thing."


Software Integrators
Software integrators such as SeeBeyond (SBYN:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and WebMethods (WEBM:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) also have jumped on the Web services bandwagon but make a point of saying Web services is no panacea. These firms, which also include Tibco (TIBX:Nasdaq ADR - news - commentary - research - analysis), Vitria (VITR:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Iona (IONA:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), could benefit from Web services because they`ve been integrating software for years, or they could be replaced by them.

Greenbaum thinks the latter ultimately will occur as integration becomes a feature of larger products from the likes of Oracle and SAP. Integrators already are getting swallowed up, he says, pointing to IBM`s acquisition of CrossWorlds Software last year.

Gartner`s Plummer, however, calls integration "the only strong area" in software because it leverages existing IT resources, which are popular in tough economic times.

But which middleware company to invest in? Erick Brethenoux, an analyst with Lazard Freres, favors Irish software maker Iona, which he believes has one of the strongest platforms. Iona saw revenue grew 18% in 2001 but lost $3.27 a share. Shares of the company, which has filed for a follow-on offering of 5 million shares, have fallen 15% since the beginning of the year. Brethenoux`s firm hasn`t done any banking business with Iona.


Supply-Chain Management
Companies also are looking inward to manage their supply chains better, but this may present a bigger opportunity for small, private start-ups than public companies. That`s because companies are looking for specific products -- rather than spending more money on broader products provided by such companies as i2 Technologies (ITWO:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Manugistics (MANU:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), said Greenbaum.

"They can`t grow. They`re shrinking because they can`t have a lot of small deals," he said.


B2B a Bust?
To survive, B2B will have to be more closely linked to supply-chain management, industry analysts say. Ekoniak expects the ERP and supply-chain companies to develop the functionality that B2B companies have been banking their business on -- particularly marketplaces.

Conversely, B2B companies such as Ariba (ARBA:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Commerce One (CMRC:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis) are going to have to incorporate more supply-chain tools into their offerings. "There`s a huge opportunity still in supply-chain management," said Philip Lay, senior managing director of the Chasm Group, which provides strategy consulting to high-tech companies. "It only has the surface scratched."

He characterized the current B2B market as quiet but expects that to change soon. "Over the next six months, we`ll find out if Ariba comes into the market and gets any new traction and gets large customers," he said. Lay expects the next year to determine whether the B2B companies are anything more than one-product wonders.

"They don`t have the survivability of a public company, so they`re trying to build it in real-time," Lay said. "They should all really be private companies."

But then, that would be so 1996.

[siscoinvestor]

The Legends of CRM
Tue Feb 19, 1:14 PM ET
Lou Hirsh, www.CRMDaily.com

Customer relationship management has undergone significant changes in recent years, spurred in large part by the realization that the Internet and software can be used not only to sell things, but also to turn people and businesses into satisfied, long-term customers.

Analysts credit select CRM executives and academic experts for bringing about that change in attitude. These industry leaders and gurus have had an impact on the way companies in many sectors define customer service and seek out new business.

Because of the vision of a few "CRM legends," numerous changes, such as the innovative use of analytics programs, have taken place in the market.

Preaching the CRM Gospel

Gartner research director Gareth Herschel told CRMDaily.com that Siebel Systems (Nasdaq: SEBL - news) founder and CEO Tom Siebel played a significant role in making CRM services mainstream. According to Herschel, Siebel was instrumental in convincing businesses that there was a need to modernize customer initiatives.

"Siebel looked at what companies in various industries were doing, he identified the best-of-breed services, and he knew how to incorporate those into his company`s products," Herschel said. "He was pivotal in getting companies to spend money on these services."

Aberdeen Group research director Kent Allen agreed that Siebel had been an important evangelist for CRM.

"He`s been very good at selling this to business," Allen told CRMDaily.

Herschel also said leaders at IBM deserve credit for positively shaping attitudes of online businesses toward customer service.

Time for Analytics

Yankee Group program manager Sheryl Kingstone told CRMDaily that E.piphany (Nasdaq: EPNY - news) founder and CEO Roger Siboni was among the first to recognize the importance of market analytics, now considered the most growth-oriented area in CRM.

Analytics programs, which are used by companies to identify customer preferences, are now being leveraged to retain profitable customers and sell additional services to existing clients. Through the use of analytic programs, information on buying patterns can be examined to improve services and attract new customers.

Facing the Customer

Kingstone said Siboni`s work has been crucial in getting companies to think in terms of a "customer-facing" approach to operations, rather than focusing solely on internal processes.

"He was influential in getting things framed around a knowledge infrastructure," Kingstone told CRMDaily. This work influenced later initiatives by Siebel and other companies that are now increasing their efforts toward analytics, she said.

Kingstone cited former Kana CEO James (Jay) C. Wood for his company`s development of e-mail response applications -- a pivotal innovation that allows more accurate targeting and faster processing of customer preferences.

Kingstone also gave kudos to Marc Benioff, founder of Salesforce.com. Benioff advanced the idea of using sales-force software as a continuing service to the clients who use it.

"He drove this idea of software as a service," Kingstone said. "Benioff was anti-licensing and very vocal about it."

As a result, his approach has been touted and emulated by many other companies, the analyst said.

Linking Old with New

For Aberdeen`s Allen, the list of key CRM players includes Blue Martini founder Monte Zweben. Allen credited Zweben for linking traditional sell-side practices with eCRM initiatives.

Allen also cited BroadVision founder and CEO Pehong Chen, whose work was crucial in the movement toward customer-facing technology and business practices.

"Chen pushed the concept of opening up the enterprise to the outside, and it is reflected in a lot of the self-service programs we see today," Allen told CRMDaily.

Allen credited developers at SAP (NYSE: SAP - news) and PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT - news) for innovative, easy-to-use enterprise resource programs that have helped streamline internal business operations.

Research Influences

Experts say research from the academic and business worlds also has had a big influence on day-to-day CRM practices. Gartner`s Herschel pointed to work done by co-authors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, known as early advocates of shifting operations toward a marketing-centered, customer emphasis.

Allen also cited Peppers and Rogers, saying that their work has influenced many of the personalization services now being offered by a number of companies.

On the consultancy side, Gartner`s Herschel pointed to author Frederick Reichheld, whose work examines the "loyalty effect" on business. Reichheld is the founder of Bain & Company`s loyalty practice.

"Reichheld identified the value of customer retention to benefit the bottom line," Herschel told CRMDaily.

[siscoinvestor]

8:09AM Microsoft push into CRM may hit Onyx, Pivotal (MSFT) 59.08: CSFB believes that MSFT`s long-anticipated push into the mid-mkt CRM area (targeting 25 to hundreds of employees) will most likely put the squeeze on smaller vendors such as ONXS and PVTL, but should have a limited near-term impact on larger vendors such as SEBL, PSFT, and ORCL.


8:39AM PeopleSoft: concerns over upgrade cycle overblown (PSFT) 29.95: -- Update -- Goldman Sachs says that concerns about the co`s PSFT 8 upgrade cycle nearing an end are misplaced; firm believes that the co has sold only about 15% of the total upgrade rev opportunity, and says that PSFT should continue to generate substantial rev as the remaining 80% of existing customers upgrade during the next 2-4 years. Maintains ests and Recommended List rating.

In Play by briefing.com

[siscoinvestor]

Peoplesoft: Trading Buy (Hornblower Fischer)


Die Analysten von Hornblower Fischer bewerten die Aktien von Peoplesoft mit “Trading Buy“.

Nach starken Kursverlusten in den vergangenen Wochen habe sich die technische Situation von Peoplesoft gestern wieder deutlich verbessert. Nachdem die Marke von 30,00 Doller den Kursen in den vergangenen Tagen Widerstand geboten habe, konnte diese gestern mit einem Gap übersprungen werden. Kurslücken würden normalerweise nur in Richtung eines Trendes auftreten. In diesem Fall aber habe sie zusammen mit dem Gap der Vorwoche ein „Island-Reversal“ ausbilden können – eine besonders zuverlässige Umkehrformation.

Der Kurssprung werde von einem hohen Volumen bestätigt. Die Markttechnik generiere ebenfalls Kaufsignale in den Oszillatoren und die Trendindikatoren würden eine Abschwächung des vorherrschenden Abwärtstrends signalisieren. Widerstand drohe den Kursen von der abwärtsgerichteten Trendlinie und bei 33,6 Dollar, Unterstützung liege bei 30,00 Dollar. Der Stop Loss liege bei 30,00Dollar.

Analyst: Hornblower Fischer
WKN der Aktie: 885132
KGV 03e: k.A.
Besprechungskurs: k.A.
Kursziel: k.A.
Rating des Analysten: Trading Buy


Quelle: Aktienresearch 27.02.2002 13:14

[siscoinvestor]

Wednesday February 27, 1:32 pm Eastern Time

PeopleSoft CFO reiterates 2002 outlook

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM:PSFT - news) Chief Financial Officer Kevin Parker on Wednesday reiterated the software maker`s 2002 outlook and said it intends to make more acquisitions to round out its offerings.

Speaking with investors at the Robertson Stephens Software Conference in San Francisco, Parker repeated the company`s outlook for 15 percent year-over-year license revenue growth.

That forecast does not assume the economy will improve substantially and corresponds with 2002 earnings of 70 cents to 75 cents a share on total revenue of $2.2 billion.

Parker also said the company, which recently picked up technology from troubled software makers Calico Commerce and Annuncio Software in two deals valued at less than $10 million each, is scouring the landscape for additional opportunities.

On other fronts, Parker defended the Pleasanton, California-based company`s decision to exercise its option to buy Momentum Business Applications (NasdaqNM:MMTM - news) for $90 million in cash.

PeopleSoft created the software development house and spun it off as a public company in 1998. The move enabled PeopleSoft to use a permitted accounting strategy to boost earnings by shifting to Momentum some of the research and development costs associated with rewriting its software to run on the Web.

The company has said the acquisition, which is set to close in the current quarter, would not have a material impact on PeopleSoft`s results.

Investors applauded the company`s decision, but some financial analysts say it could contribute to weaker results if the company is forced to book more research and development costs.

PeopleSoft share were up $1.55, or nearly 5 percent, in midday trading on Nasdaq.

[siscoinvestor]

Following the CRM Money Trail
Wed Feb 27, 1:21 PM ET
Lou Hirsh, www.CRMDaily.com

For those who track spending in the CRM services industry, a pattern has not been hard to discern in recent months.


Experts say much of the cash is being shelled out by companies that are following the "bigger is better" motto. Businesses are looking either to expand their CRM offerings or to branch out into other, potentially lucrative enterprise areas.

For the foreseeable future, money will be spent by companies aiming to stake out new turf and remain competitive, Meta Group senior program director Steve Bonadio told CRMDaily. This includes small- and mid-size companies looking to catch up with bigger players in crowded service segments.

"It`s going to be very much a scenario where companies are looking to broaden their footprint in the areas they serve," Bonadio said.

Big Fish, Little Fish

As the larger players look to get even bigger, the current economic climate is making it tough for startups to gain a foothold. As with other tech-related industries, experts say venture capital funding for CRM companies has dried up, to a large extent.

Bonadio said companies now are getting one-tenth to one-fifth of the VC money they were getting just two years ago.

"The VCs are very tight with the purse strings right now," he said, although he expects those strings will be loosening as the economy recovers.

Feeding at the Bottom

Bonadio said there will continue to be a good amount of "bottom feeding."

In other words, companies will continue to acquire new technology at a low price, sometimes by buying a smaller or financially struggling firm. Bonadio said one example of this emerging trend is the recent move by PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT - news) to acquire Calico Commerce.

"Companies are seeing that there`s a lot of good technology out there and a lot of it is cheap technology," he said.

The acquisitions being made often enhance the services in a company`s existing suite and can help CRM firms gain customers from a wider range of industries, Bonadio said.

A move to beef up a suite can attract a larger number of customers looking for multipurpose programs because smaller companies usually do not want to deal with several vendors, he added.

Money also will be spent as companies attempt to expand beyond their current specialty. For example, Bonadio noted that E.piphany (Nasdaq: EPNY - news) has moved beyond analytics through expansions and acquisitions.

"It`s a move to broaden suites and other offerings across several kinds of services," Bonadio said. Still, expansion is not a foolproof strategy, he said, because some customers prefer more agile, specialized point products over all-in-one suites.

Pushing Toward Analytics

Taking cues from recent growth in analytics services, Gartner research director Gareth Herschel told CRMDaily that many companies will be spending to get more analytics functions into their offerings. This could take the form of company acquisitions or partnerships with firms that already have a foothold in analytics.

Herschel said Siebel`s (Nasdaq: SEBL - news) acquisition of Enquire, for example, was driven in large part by growing interest in analytics.

Likewise, PeopleSoft has moved to boost its analytics offerings through partnership deals, and SAP (NYSE: SAP - news) is looking into analytics-related acquisitions, he said.

CRM companies are eager to extend analytics services to enterprise wireless applications, and more money could be heading in that direction as the economy improves, Herschel said.

Even so, wireless analytics is "pretty stagnant at the moment."

Invading Other Niches

Aberdeen Group research director Kent Allen also expects CRM companies not already involved in analytics to boost their presence in that segment, especially since such services have been shown to help companies increase sales and attain better returns on investments, particularly in tight economic times.

Allen believes that CRM firms will invest in further expanding their presence in the e-commerce arena, especially in the field of management services. Companies in many industries are looking for customer software that helps them sell products and services across multiple trade channels, he told CRMDaily.

In Reverse

Meta`s Bonadio foresees an increase in the number of non-CRM companies investing money to get into the CRM game. These likely will include companies that specialize in billing and Internet telephony services.

One example of that trend, Bonadio said, is when Amdocs (NYSE: DOX - news), which specializes in billing, acquired Clarify. And, he said, similar deals among other players are on the way.

Shrinking, Shrinking

Experts say all the spending and acquisition will fuel considerable consolidation and, eventually, a shrinking of the CRM roster.

Over the next 18 to 24 months, Bonadio said, the overall number of companies offering CRM could be cut in half.

While there are now five or six major players offering suites and 10 small to mid-size players, that field could get pared down to perhaps three or four major companies and three mid-size firms.

"The market right now is fairly crowded," he said.

[siscoinvestor]

PeopleSoft - Prognosen bestätigt

Der Chief Financial Officer (CFO) des Herstellers von Business-Management-Software PeopleSoft [Nasdaq: PSFT Kurs/Chart ] Kevin Parker hat am Mittwoch auf der Robertson Stephens Softwarekonferenz in San Francisco die Prognosen für 2002 bestätigt.

Davon ausgehend, dass die Wirtschaft sich nicht wesentlich erholt, rechnet Parker für das Gesamtjahr mit einem Gewinn zwischen 70 und 75 Cents pro Aktie bei Umsätzen von 2,2 Milliarden Dollar.

Zudem erklärte er, dass sich PeopleSoft weiterhin nach interessanten Akquisitionsobjekten umsehe. Geplant seien keine großen Übernahmen, sondern kleinere Deals wie die Akquisitionen von Calico Commerce und Annuncio Software, von denen PeopleSoft Technologien für jeweils weniger als zehn Millionen Dollar übernommen hatte.

Weiterhin verteidigte der Finanzchef die Rückführung des früheren Spin-Offs Momentum Business Applications [Nasdaq: MMTM Kurs/Chart ] in das Unternehmen für 90 Millionen Dollar in Cash. Der Deal, der voraussichtlich im laufenden Quartal abgeschlossen wird, werde keinen Einfluss auf das Quartalsergebnis haben, so Parker.

PeopleSoft hatte Momentum gegründet, ausgegliedert und 1998 an die Börse gebracht. Forschungs- und Entwicklungskosten wurden daraufhin unter Ausnutzung eines legalen Bilanzierungsverfahrens teilweise auf die Beteiligung abgewälzt, so dass PeopleSofts Bilanz damit nicht belastet wurde. Während Investoren den Schritt begrüßten, befürchten Analysten, dass die Ergebnisse leiden könnten, wenn die Kosten nun wieder voll bilanziert werden müssen.

© 28.02.2002 www.stock-world.de

[siscoinvestor]

02/26/02 09:24 AM
Source: CS First Boston

Applications Software

Brent Thill

Implications of MSFT`s Move Into CRM

* MSFT`s ($59-Strong Buy rated by G.Gilbert) long anticipated move upstream into the mid-market will have limited near-term competitive implications on the larger, more established CRM vendors such as SEBL ($31, Buy), PSFT ($29, Buy), and ORCL ($16, Hold ).

* Although details are still being rolled out (app ships in Q4, pricing not determined), we expect MSFT`s initiatives to be highly successful following on the strength of its Great Plains back-office solution (finance, manufacturing, supply chain). MSFT already has a low end CRM product offered through its bCentral service, with the sweet spot of this new application centered on companies with 25 to several hundred employees (vs 100`s to thousands of users targeted by SEBL, PSFT, ORCL). This market will be primarily addressed through MSFT Great Plains resellers already established, not through a direct sales force utilized by larger applications software vendors.

* Mid-market vendors such as ONXS ($3.5, Hold), PVTL (5.7, not rated), and Salesforce.com will most likely feel MSFT`s push. MSFT has had partnerships in place with ONXS and PVTL, but we suspect those were only used to fuel the development of a competing platform.

* We expect additional details of MSFT`s CRM initiative to be released over the next week.

[siscoinvestor]

1:42PM PeopleSoft: report claims possibility of SEC investigation (PSFT) 30.11 -1.73: -- Update -- Dow Jones is reporting that SEC Insight claims that the SEC declined their request for information on PSFT because it would compromise an investigation. The article emphasizes that there is no proof that the SEC is investigating PSFT specifically, but that SEC Insight believes it is a possibility because of the type of exemption the SEC cited for denying information.

Und nun der Artikel:

Thursday February 28, 1:39 pm Eastern Time

SEC Won`t Release Data On PeopleSoft Citing Proceedings

By: Marcelo Prince, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- The Securities and Exchange Commission recently declined to release information about PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM: PSFT - news) (PSFT) saying the disclosure could compromise an investigation, according to a research firm that scours records about SEC correspondence.

SEC Insights Inc., a Plymouth, Minn. , research firm, issued an alert Thursday notifying its clients that the SEC partially denied its request for records on PeopleSoft made in January citing the "law enforcement" exemption.

That exemption "protects from disclosure records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, the release of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."

Officials at the Pleasanton, Calif. , software maker said Thursday they are not aware of any SEC investigation or inquiries involving the company.

"We have not received any correspondence nor been notified of any investigation from the SEC," said Steve Swasey, a PeopleSoft spokesman, after checking with the company`s general counsel and chief financial officer.

In its report, SEC Insight noted the SEC gave no indication about what is at issue or if the enforcement proceedings are directly related to PeopleSoft.

"We do not know for sure that PeopleSoft is involved in an SEC investigation/ probe," the two-page report states. There are many reasons for the SEC to deny access to information. "However, in our experience it is not often that we see the law enforcement exemption cited. Frequently, this type of denial is based upon the existence of an SEC investigation. Again, we don`t know for sure."

An SEC spokesman declined to comment on whether the agency was investigating PeopleSoft, citing SEC policy.

The last non-routine conversation PeopleSoft`s general counsel, Anne Jordan , had with the SEC involved an electronic message mentioning rumors of an SEC investigation that had caused its stock to drop, Swasey said. PeopleSoft brought the matter to the SEC`s attention and the money manager that had written the message later retracted it.

In January, PeopleSoft said it would pay $90 million to buy back a publicly- held research and development spinoff, Momentum Business Applications Inc. ( MMTM), which had triggered controversy about PeopleSoft`s accounting practices.

Shares of PeopleSoft, which makes software to manage accounting, human resources and customer service, were recently down 2.1%, or 67 cents, at $31.17 on volume of 10.4 million compared with average daily volume of 8.3 million. The stock has fallen 22% this year.

[siscoinvestor]

Friday March 1, 4:52 pm Eastern Time

PeopleSoft says not aware of any SEC probe

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM:PSFT - news) said on Friday that the software maker has not been informed that it is the subject of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe.

``We have not been notified by the SEC or anyone else about an investigation by the SEC,`` PeopleSoft spokesman Steve Swasey told Reuters.

An SEC spokesman, citing a long-standing policy, declined to say anything about whether the agency had launched a probe into PeopleSoft.

The company was responding to a report issued on Thursday by SEC Insight Inc., a Plymouth, Minnesota-based private research firm, which said that PeopleSoft ``may be involved in a potentially undisclosed SEC inquiry/investigation involving the SEC`s Division of Enforcement.``

In its two-page research report, SEC Insight also wrote, ``We do not know for sure that PeopleSoft is involved in an SEC investigation/inquiry -- all we know is that our most recent request for information on PeopleSoft was partially denied.``

The SEC denied access to the requested records under the law enforcement exemption, the report said.

The SEC law enforcement exemption protects from disclosure records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, the release of which would reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.

SEC Insight uses legal means to get copies of SEC documents that do not appear on EDGAR or other filing systems. The document request written about in the company`s Feb. 28 report was its first on PeopleSoft.

``There are many legitimate reasons for the SEC to deny access to information .... However, in our experience it is not often that we see the law enforcement exemption cited. Frequently, this type of denial is based upon the existence of an SEC investigation. Again, we don`t know for sure,`` the report said.

PeopleSoft in January said it was exercising an option to buy Momentum Business Applications Inc. (NasdaqNM:MMTM - news) for $90 million in cash. The company had been criticized in recent months because it created Momentum and spun it out in 1998 in a move that enabled the software vendor to use a permitted accounting strategy to boost earnings by shifting to Momentum some of its research and development costs.

Shares of Pleasanton, California-based PeopleSoft, which fell nearly 9 percent, on on Thursday, rebounded $3.53 on Friday to end the regular Nasdaq session at $32.60.

Options turnover in PeopleSoft also had cooled considerably from its heightened pace on Thursday.

By mid-afternoon Friday, 2,987 calls and 3,551 puts changed hands combined across the five U.S. options exchanges, according to Track Data Corp., a provider of real-time market data for equities and options.

On Thursday, 25,063 options traded, of which 8,060 calls and 17,003 were puts, up from its average daily volume of about 6,555 options, according to McMillan Analysis Corp.

[siscoinvestor]

Goldman Sachs
4 Mar 2002, 08:52am ET

PSFT: Reit Recommended List Buy - Although calendar 1Q02 appears to be on track for many software names, we recognize that as much as 50-60% of the quarter needs to be completed this month. We expect stock pressure in the broader software market. Oracle preannounced its fiscal 3Q02 after the close on Friday. Without much detail at this point, we believe this miss is more company specific as Oracle has underperformed the software market and forecasted sequential improvement.

www.lycos.com

[siscoinvestor]

8:28AM PeopleSoft customers not ready to spend (PSFT) 35.00: Trades off 4% in pre-market after SG Cowen survey yields mixed results which firm calls mildly negative in sum. Firm`s survey of 20 large PSFT customers and systems integrators finds that the PSFT 8 upgrade cycle appears to be moving along nicely but could slow in the 2nd-half. While customers and SIs pleased with the product, they described the process as painful and costly with few exceptions. More important, several large customers indicated no plans to buy more PSFT software in the foreseeable future. Although not enough negativism to support a downgrade, believes stk may be at the high-end of its $25-$35 near term trading range.

In Play by briefing.com

Achtung!

[siscoinvestor]

2:50pm 03/06/02 PeopleSoft slips following Cowen note (PSFT) By Michael Baron
PeopleSoft (PSFT) is giving back 89 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $34.09, in late action. SG Cowen is out with a note saying that a survey of the company`s 20 largest customers and large system integrators yielded "mildly negative" results. The firm said that customers, on average, are planning to purchase 10 to 15 percent incrementally in the next 12 to 18 months, and that PeopleSoft could see a slowing in the upgrade cycle for version 8 of its software once it "exhausts the low hanging fruit." SG Cowen also noted that PeopleSoft-related budgets for customers are expected to be flat on a year-over-year basis.

cbsmarketwatch.com

[Pitu]

8:28AM PeopleSoft estimates raised by Fulcrum (PSFT) 33.24: Fulcrum says that channel checks suggest PSFT landed important new and upsold customers in the last two months, with growth coming from a variety of sources but particularly from the govt sector; raises Q1 rev/EPS ests to $512 mln from $502 mln and $0.15 from $0.14. Reiterates Buy rating. Nine-month price target is $50.

[siscoinvestor]

INTERVIEW-PeopleSoft eyes growth amid weak corporate spending

3/11/2002 2:14:12 PM

PLEASANTON, Calif., March 11 (Reuters) - Business automation software maker PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT) aims to more than double its revenue to $5 billion by 2004, a senior executive said.

"That`s our goal right now," PeopleSoft Executive Vice President Ram Gupta told Reuters in an interview on Friday afternoon.

Total revenue at the Pleasanton, California maker of software that automates such things as accounting, customer service and human resources grew 19 percent to $2.07 billion in 2001.

PeopleSoft has recently focused on promoting its customer relationship management (CRM) offerings that manage such things as sales and service. This year`s highlight is its supply chain management software and products designed to help companies track project expenses and costs associated with hiring outside workers. The company does not break out product revenues.

Shares of PeopleSoft are up nearly 70 percent from a year ago. The stock of rival Oracle Corp. (ORCL) has fallen nearly 13 percent, while Siebel Systems Inc. (SEBL) is up nearly 32 percent.

The company this month is expected to close its $90 million cash purchase of Momentum Business Applications Inc. (MMTM) , which it spun out in 1998.

PeopleSoft, which posted lackluster earnings during the last decade`s technology boom, in 1998 began rewriting its software to run on the Internet. The company shifted much of the cost associated with that effort to Momentum and recently has come under fire for using that permitted accounting strategy to boost earnings.

PeopleSoft shares rose $1.41, about 3.85 percent, to $38 in mid-afternoon trade on Nasdaq.

[siscoinvestor]

PeopleSoft CRM Upgrade Targets Mobile Sales Force

Wed Mar 13, 1:34 PM ET
Erika Morphy, www.CRMDaily.com

PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT - news) on Wednesday released version 8.4 of its CRM application. The updated software includes new modules for mobile sales, mobile field service and collaborative selling as well as an enhanced quality management application, the company said.

PeopleSoft plans to release new versions of its CRM application every six to eight months, Robb Eklund, the company`s vice president of CRM product marketing, told CRMDaily.com.

"We are targeting [version] 8.8 for Q4 of this year," he said.

Mobile sales and mobile field service functionality, which provides disconnected access to customer information, is completely new in version 8.4 of the software. Users will be able to synchronize up to a year of updates in just six minutes, Eklund said, "which is unheard of with client/server architecture."

"We are delivering to all Windows operating systems, including handheld devices that support mobile sales and field service," he added. "This is the next generation of support for mobile professionals."

Both Sides Now

The collaborative selling app combines needs analysis, recommendation, configuration, pricing, quoting and order capture. It also allows sales reps to create scalable product and service configurations.

While the module addresses the requirements of a sales organization, it also coordinates with the fulfillment end of operations, Eklund told CRMDaily. "It was designed to work with both sides of the house," he said. "Typically, this is a difficult integration point for most businesses."

In addition, as part of the collaborative selling module, a self-service component helps business customers walk through the recommendation engine.

"It allows them to configure their own products and place [orders for] them online," Eklund said. "It also supports channel partners through a buying process."

Vertical Release

PeopleSoft also announced on Wednesday the availability of a CRM industry-specific application for the communications industry.

PeopleSoft CRM for Communications is designed to help communications services providers target, acquire and retain loyal customers by managing the entire customer life cycle in real-time, the company said.

The launch of the communications industry app follows the December release of PeopleSoft`s financial services industry app. And Eklund said more industry-specific systems are in the works.

"The year 2002 marks a turning point for CRM as the market continues to mature and innovative new technologies broaden the reach of CRM to partners, employees, customers and suppliers," said Steve Bonadio, senior program director at Meta Group (Nasdaq: METG - news).

Focus, Focus

The PeopleSoft communications app features instant sales order capture, order management, service management and support processes through such channels as call centers, Web self-service and direct sales.

The software also includes a flexible data model, integration capabilities and pre-built industry templates.

"Industry solutions are a huge focus for PeopleSoft in 2002," Eklund said. "We will be looking to release one or two industry verticals every quarter."

[siscoinvestor]

Wednesday 13th March 2002 12:08pm

PeopleSoft sidelines Oracle and SAP in Tesco HR deal

Bigger boys beaten...

PeopleSoft has beaten arch-rivals Oracle and SAP to provide Tesco with its new HR system.

The system will be implemented worldwide to include 240,000 employees.

The UK and Thailand will be the first countries to go live with the PeopleSoft 8 human resource management software, with eight other countries following suit from 2003.

David Richardson, people insight director at Tesco, said in a statement: "We looked at solutions from SAP and Oracle but felt that a combination of functionality and PeopleSoft`s culture matched our requirements best."

The browser-based system will replace the existing mainframe infrastructure and will help centralise Tesco`s HR admin.

Richardson added: "We are becoming a global retailer with stores in Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Malaysia but have no global reporting structure in place. All of our reporting had to be done in one central place to achieve standardisation and this created a bottleneck."

Tesco also hopes the system will help it cut costs.

For related reading, see:
Peoplesoft on acquisition trail
www.silicon.com/a50993
PeopleSoft posts positive results
www.silicon.com/a50734
Is there more to PeopleSoft than internet-everything?
www.silicon.com/a49439
SAP targets legal eagles
www.silicon.com/a51054


quelle: www.silicon.com

[siscoinvestor]

03/13/02 08:26 AM
Source: CS First Boston

Applications Software

Brent Thill/John Torrey

Software Radar 2.5 -- Highlights from Gartner CRM Summit

* Last week, we attended Gartner’s Spring CRM Summit in Chicago.

* Conference focused more on business process topics and less on technology developments, as Gartner customers have been expressing that preference in their advice calls into Gartner’s analysts. Still, innovative products in incentive compensation, PRM, and disconnected mobile clients are on the horizon for CRM.

* Conference also highlighted the arrival of the ERP-suite vendors (JDEC -- $15.82, Buy; ORCL -- $14.44, Buy; PSFT -- $37.48, Buy; SAP -- $36.19) into the CRM space. PSFT closed 250 CRM transactions in ’01, ORCL has built a number of positive CRM references with recent point releases (including 11i5.6 in Dec ’01), and SAP’s customer, Canada Post (whose story we published on 01/04/02), won the CRM Award of Excellence at the conference.

* Still, we think competition among vendors remains vibrant on both the axis of integration and the axis of functionality, indicating that there is still plenty of runway for CRM-focused vendors like SEBL ($36.55, Buy) and EPNY ($9, Hold).

[siscoinvestor]

jetzt ein kleiner hammer:

Wednesday March 13, 3:38 pm Eastern Time

PeopleSoft CEO Conway Files To Sell 250,000 Common Shares

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- PeopleSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM: PSFT - news) (PSFT) President and Chief Executive Craig A. Conway filed to sell 250,000 shares of the company`s common stock, according to a Form 144 released Wednesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Conway listed Feb. 26 as the approximate sale date for the shares, which he valued at $7.6 million.

The filing listed Morgan Stanley & Co . Inc. as the broker for the sale.

PeopleSoft, based in Pleasanton, Calif. , provides e-business applications for customer relationship management, human resource management, financial and supply chain, along with specific systems, such as PeopleSoft Professional Services Automation.

Shares of the company recently traded at $36.78.

-Ben Siegel, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-628-7689

(This story was originally published by Dow Jones Newswires)

[Pitu]

Peoplesoft war nicht konservativ genug

Nicht vollkommen überraschend muss der Softwarehersteller Peoplesoft seine Prognosen für das laufende Quartal senken. Bereits vorher stand fest, dass bei Unternehmens-Software die Musik erst gegen Ende des Jahres spielen wird. Die Prognose des Konkurrenten von SAP und Siebel Systems für das erste Quartal galt als konservativ. Deshalb fällt die Revision milde aus. Entsprechend milde sollte sich die Meldung auf den Aktienkurs auswirken.

Peoplesoft hatte seinen Aktionären einen Quartalsgewinn zwischen 14 und 15 Cents je Aktie in Aussicht gestellt. Nun wird der Anbieter kaufmännischer Software genauer: 14 Cents. Also keine dramatische Revision. Allerdings wird der Umsatz mit 130 bis 135 Millionen Euro deutlich unter den vorhergesagten 160 Millionen Euro liegen. Eine Entwicklung, die einigen Analysten im Magen liegen wird.

Allerdings hat Peoplesoft auch einige Posten auf der Habenseite. Im abgelaufenen vierten Quartal hat das Software-Unternehmen beim Gewinn und Umsatz die Analystenprognosen geschlagen. Der Liquiditätsbestand hat um über 200 Millionen Dollar zugelegt. Die Zahlungsmoral von Peoplesofts Kunden hat sich gegenüber dem Vorquartal nicht verschlechtert. Die neue Software Peoplesoft 8 wird wegen ihrer Stärken beim viel gefragten Kundenbeziehungsmanagement (CRM) gelobt. Entsprechend entscheiden sich immer mehr Peoplesoft-Kunden ihre Software mit Peoplesoft 8 auf den neuesten Stand zu bringen.

Fazit: Mit dem 55-fachem des für 2002 und dem 43-fachem des für 2003 erwarteten Gewinns ist der Aktienkurs nicht niedrig. Deshalb wird die Aktie erst nach einem Kursrückgang größere Käuferscharen anlocken. Die aktuelle Gewinnrevision könnte den Kurs auf ein attraktives Einstiegsniveau drücken. Dann würden die Aktionäre ein Unternehmen mit erfolgreichen Produkten zu einem fairen Preis bekommen. Vorher nicht.

sharper.de

[torjaeger]

hallo pitu,

sind 20 % minus genug ???

[Pitu]

Schwer zu sagen. Bin etwas überrascht von der heftigen Reaktion. Hier regiert vor allem Panik.
Trotz des Kursverlustes (etwa 2 Milliarden USD Marktkapitalisierung vernichtet) ist das KGV noch stattlich.
Eine charttechnische Unterstützung liegt bei 27 USD. Die sollte vorerst halten.

[matthiasch]

Software ist eindeutig zu teuer. Siebel Systems zu 22$, PeoplesSoft zu 23$ und Oracle zu 10$, dann bin ich dabei.

[stmk-guru1]

Matthiasch

Du wirst noch warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,
warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,
warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,
warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten,warten und warten w

[matthiasch]

@stmk-guru

Wenn sich eindeutig eine Trendwende im Nasdaq abzeichnet, dann bin ich schon eher in SEBL und PSFT. Für mich besser als Indexzertifikate und sicherer als Optionsscheine, da ich eventuelle Kursverluste aussitzen kann.

[Pitu]

[siscoinvestor]

7:15AM PeopleSoft downgraded after reducing guidance (PSFT) 37.37: Both Goldman Sachs and CSFB are downgrading stock this morning after PSFT warned of disappointing Q1 results. PSFT sees EPS of $0.14 a share (consensus $0.15) and issued disappointing license revenue forecast of $130-$135 mln. Goldman Sachs expected license rev of $165 mln. Shortfall leads firm to downgrade stock to Mkt Outperform from Rec List. While firm believes that macro challenges played an important role, it is concerned by the magnitude of the miss. Goldman lowering its 2002 est to $0.68 from $0.77 and 2003 to $0.81 from $0.92.

in play by briefing.com


10:13am 04/02/02 PeopleSoft cut to `outperform` at at SunTrust R. Humph. - CBS MarketWatch.com

btw: wetten das es morgen eine technische reaktion gibt!!

lasse trotzdem die finger von PSFT. noch zumindest.

gruß

siscoinvestor

[BigBlender]

Und durch die 27, nächster Halt 25 und 22, darunter die Twilight Zone... (s.a. godmode...)

stay frosty,
BigBlender

[southbound]

3. höchster Umsatz überhaupt, und es noch nicht Feierabend

[matthiasch]

@stmk-guru

Noch zwei Dollar bei PeopleSoft und ich warte...


Allerdings wirds heute wahrscheinlich erstmal einen Dollar nach oben gehen...vielleicht sogar mehr.

[Pleitegeyer]

Ich glaube mehr als 30% Abschlag an einem Tag sind eine maßlose Übertreibung, da ist erst mal wieder eine Gegenreaktion fällig. Bin auf jedem Fall mal eingestiegen . Mal schaun, ob sichs lohnt . Was meint Ihr dazu?

Euer Pleitegeyer
http://www.euro.de.tf

[Pleitegeyer]

Interessiert wohl sonst keinen in good old Germany.

[Pitu]

Im Amiland wird vorbörslich munter weiterverkauft.

[Guru-Schreck]

Alles über 20$ ist nach den Zahlen immer noch zun teuer.

[matthiasch]

@stmk-guru1

SEBL -8% auf 25,5$
PSFT -6% auf 21,8$
ORCL -3,8% auf 11,5$

[siscoinvestor]

@all

wenn siebel noch warnt, dann gehts auch für psft nochmal runter....
tom hatte bisher auch wie der larry ne grosse klappe, aber war bei den prognosen bisher immernoch ein bisschen realistischer als die konkurrenz.

we will see

siscoinvestor

[stmk-guru1]

Heute kommen Peoplesoft Zahlen !! Was erwartet ihr ? Eher positiv oder doch nicht ?

[stmk-guru1]

24.04.2002
PeopleSoft "strong buy"
SoundView

Die Analysten von SoundView bleiben trotz der Gewinnwarnung vor zwei Wochen bei ihrer "strong buy" - Empfehlung für Aktien von PeopleSoft (WKN 885132).

Diese Warnung sehe mittlerweile, angesichts der allgemein enttäuschenden Ergebnisse und Zukunftskommentare einer Reihe von Softwarefirmen, ein bisschen weniger schockierend aus.

Die großen Fragen vor Veröffentlichung der Ergebnisse beträfen die Höhe der tatsächlichen Lizenzeinnahmen, 130 Mio. USD oder doch eher 135 Mio. USD, die neuen Geschäftsabschlüsse seit Ende des Quartals, welcher Anteil vom Umsatzausfall auf die schwache Nachfrage, wie viel auf die Produktumstellung bzw. die unternehmerische Umsetzung zurückzuführen sei, und welche Prognosen das Unternehmen für die weitere Entwicklung formuliere.

Die Analysten seien jedenfalls zuversichtlich, was die fundamentale Stellung und die strahlenden Zukunftsaussichten von PeopleSoft betreffe. Auch Diskussionen mit Marktforschern zeigten keine Änderung in deren Sichtweise des Unternehmens und des Wettbewerbsklimas. Marktüberprüfungen ließen vermuten, dass zwar der Umsatzausfall auf das schwierige Wirtschaftsklima zurückzuführen sei, dass aber PeopleSoft möglicherweise etwas langsam bei der Feineinstellung seiner Vertriebsorganisation, der Vertriebsgebiete und der Kontenbereiche am Anfang eines neuen Jahres gewesen sei.

Die Analysten von SoundView lassen daher ihre Schätzungen für das gesamte Jahr und ihre "strong buy" - Empfehlung für PeopleSoft aufrecht und betrachten die Aktie als überverkauft.

[Roxette]

Wenn die Zahlen gut sind dann

[Pitu]

eigentlich hätte man sich statt psft auch ein nasdaq100-zertifikat zulegen können:

bis zum absturz wär`s egal gewesen.

[Pitu]

PeopleSoft quarterly profit up, software sales down

PLEASANTON, Calif., April 25 (Reuters) - Business automation software maker PeopleSoft Inc.(NasdaqNM:PSFT - news) on Thursday posted earnings that rose 28 percent year-over-year, in line with company estimates, although software sales slipped 13 percent amid still-soft demand for high-tech products.

The Pleasanton, California, maker of software that automates human resources, accounting, selling and other corporate tasks said its earnings from recurring operations were $46 million, or 14 cents per share, compared with earnings of $36 million, or 11 cents, in the year-ago quarter.

Total revenue fell to $483.3 million from $514.2 million as software license sales, a key gauge of performance, stumbled to $133.3 million versus last year`s $153.3 million.

On April 1, PeopleSoft said its quarterly earnings would be 14 cents a share, hitting the low end of its previous guidance for earnings of 14 cents to 15 cents. It also warned that software license revenue would be $130 million to $135 million, below its prior forecast of about $160 million.

Analysts, on average, had expected the company to earn 14 cents a share on total revenue of $481.48 million, according to tracking firm Thomson Financial/First Call.

[Pitu]

7:41AM PeopleSoft upgraded at WR Hambrecht on valuation (PSFT) 21.89: WR Hambrecht upgrades to MKT PERFORM from Mkt Underperform based on valuation; cuts 2002 rev/EPS ests to $1.91 bln/$0.58 from $2.06 bln/$0.68.

[Pitu]

Peoplesoft gibt Anlegern Saures

Peoplesoft hat keine Entwarung parat. Das Unternehmen sieht noch keine Anzeichen für einen Aufschwung. Die Kunden seien alle vorsichtig und bräuchten lange bis sie eine Investionsentscheidung träfen. Im zweiten Halbjahr könnte die Nachfrage der Kunden rapide ansteigen - wohlgemerkt könnte. Diese Unsicherheiten waren bereits bei den Ende April gemeldeten Quartalszahlen zu spüren: Das Unternehmen blieb eine Prognose für das Gesamtjahr schuldig. Für das laufende zweite Quartal rechnet das Unternehmen mit einem Cent weniger Gewinn je Aktie als Analysten ursprünglich prognostiziert haben. Bei der hoch bewerteten Aktie ist die Luft erst mal raus.

[Pitu]

Peoplesoft gibt sieben Prozent ab. Die US-Börsenaufsicht SEC nimmt deren Rechnungsprüfer Ernst & Young ins Visier. Credit Suisse First Boston bestätigt dennoch die Einschätzung als Halteposition.

[Pitu]

SAP gehört nicht in einen Topf mit Peoplesoft

Ausgerechnet Peoplesoft spricht von einer unklaren Geschäftsentwicklung. Der Anbieter kaufmännischer Software hatte selbst in lauen Zeiten mit stetigem Wachstum überzeugt. Die Aktie von SAP, eine weiteren Bastion der Stabilität diese Branche, wird von dem negativen Kommentar des Konkurrenten in die Tiefe gerissen. Doch Peoplesofts Probleme sind möglicherweise hausgemacht.

Der Knüller des Jahres sollte eigentlich kaufmännische Software für die Versorgungslogistik (SCM) und für das Kundenkontakt-Management (CRM) sein. Beide relativ jungen Produktgruppen hatten in den vergangenen Jahren einen Boom erlebt.

Peoplesoft hat seine neue Software "PeopleSoft 8" trendgerecht auf CRM getrimmt. Branchenmagazine lobten das neue Produkt für seine hervorragenden Funktionen im Kundenkontakt-Management.

Bewährtes bleibt immer gefragt

Es kam jedoch anders als erwartet. Die Kunden sind knapp bei Kasse. Investiert wird vor allem wieder in bewährte Software-Systeme. Gefragt sind neuerdings wieder die traditionellen kaufmännischen Software-Bausteine zur Verwaltung der Firmenfinanzen, Produktionssteuerung oder Personalwesen. Neuland wie SCM- oder CRM-Projekte werden wegen des Planungsaufwands derzeit weniger betreten.

SAP hat seine Software R/3 um SCM- und CRM-Module erweitert. Starkes Standbein bleiben aber die traditionelle Software-Module. Langfristig wird das Geschäft mit der Versorgungslogistik und dem Kundenkontakt-Management auf seinen alten Wachstumspfad zurückkehren. Im derzeit unsicheren Umfeld wird dies aber nicht vor dem Ende des laufenden Jahres geschehen.

Fazit: SAP hat seine Standard-Software um einfache CRM- und SCM-Funktionen erweitert. Möglicherweise kommt dies den Kunden entgegen, die eine Investition in neueste Spielereien aufgrund der Folgekosten während der Software-Einführung scheuen. Peoplesoft hat zudem in jüngster Vergangenheit vom Upgrade-Zyklus bei Altkunden auf die neue Software PeopleSoft 8 profitiert. Das Neukundengeschäft hat jedoch gelahmt. SAP steht im Neukundengeschäft etwas besser dar. Die allgemeine Ernüchterung nach dem pessimistischen Ausblick von Peoplesoft wird die Aktienkurse der Anbieter kaufmännischer Software noch einige Tage unter Druck setzen. Bei SAP erscheint das weitere Verlustpotenzial jedoch begrenzt zu sein.

© 2002 sharper.de

[Pitu]

PeopleSoft upgraded at CSFB (PSFT) 20.04: CSFB upgrades to BUY from Hold based on: 1) valuation, 2)
risk/reward is favorable with $2-$3 of potential further downside and $5-$10 of upside, 3) believes current CY03 EPS
est of $0.67 has upside of $0.03-$0.08, and 4) installed base has held up and firm believes Q1`s decline in new
customer rev was an anomoly. Price target is $30.

[Pitu]

Einschätzung

Die Aktie wurde so stark verprügelt, dass sie der Nasdaq-Schwäche weitgehend trotzen kann. Da das Unternehmen auch fundamental top ist, können Risikobereite ein Engagement wagen.



Anfang April warnte das US-Softwarehaus Peoplesoft, dass der Gewinn im ersten Quartal um sieben Prozent hinter den Erwartungen zurück bleiben werde. Konsequenz: Die Aktie stürzte an einem Tag um über 30 Prozent ab, in den folgenden Wochen ging es Stück für Stück um weitere 25 Prozent nach unten. Angesichts der bescheidenen Planverfehlung hielten wir die Reaktion der Börse schon damals für übertrieben. Dennoch rieten wir Neueinsteigern, eine Bodenbildung abzuwarten. Diese deutet sich nun an:
Seit Anfang Mai schwankt das Papier um die 20-Dollar-Marke. Trotz des Kursrutsches an der Nasdaq hält sich die Aktie hartnäckig über dieser Unterstützung. Die Chancen stehen gut, dass die Aktie von diesem Niveau aus - wie bereits zweimal zuvor - bald wieder zu Kurssteigerungen ansetzt.

Untermauert wird diese Aussicht durch gute Fundamentaldaten. Mit ihrer Customer-Relationship-Management (CRM)-Software bedienen die Kalifornier einen lukrativen Markt, der noch mehrere Jahre lang zweistellig wachsen wird. Grund: Mit CRM-Software können Unternehmen ihre Kundenbeziehungen optimieren und damit ihre Vertriebskanäle effizienter ausnutzen. Doch der Wettbewerb ist hart. Peoplesofts große Konkurrenten heißen SAP und Siebel. Vorteil Peoplesoft: Als einzige haben die Kalifornier eine komplett internetbasierte Software entwickelt. Das macht die Pakete kleiner und billiger, die Infrastruktur ist leichter zu pflegen.

Dass das Geschäft momentan dennoch eher flau ist, belegen die Ergebnisse des ersten Quartals. Der Umsatz sank um 6 Prozent auf 483 Millionen Dollar, die Lizenzerlöse gingen um 13 Prozent auf 133 Millionen Dollar zurück. Dennoch wuchs der Gewinn um 24 Prozent auf 44,5 Millionen Dollar oder 14 Cents pro Aktie. Das zeigt, dass Peoplesoft trotz eines schwachen Neukundengeschäfts die Kosten voll im Griff hat und sehr effizient arbeitet - eine gute Ausgangsposition, um steigende Lizenzumsätze in deutliche Gewinnsteigerungen umzumünzen. Branchenkenner gehen davon aus, dass die Nachfrage nach CRM-Software erst dann wieder steigen wird, wenn die Konjunktur wieder am Laufen ist. Das dürfte 2003 der Fall sein. Den Jahresgewinn für 2002 schätzen Analysten auf 66 Cents je Aktie, im kommenden Jahr dürfte der Ertrag deutlich höher liegen.

Auf Basis der für 2003 erwarteten Gewinne liegt das KGV derzeit bei 25. Im Branchenvergleich ist das wenig, zumal Peoplesoft zu den wachstumsstärksten Softwareschmieden zählt. Grund dieser Unterbewertung: Enronitis. Auch Peoplesoft ist in den Strudel der Bilanzzweifel geraten. Zwei Jahre lang hatte das Unternehmen Teile seiner Forschung an eine außerbilanzielle Tochterfirma ausgelagert. So konnten neue Produkte entwickelt werden, ohne die dafür fälligen Kosten in der Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung ausweisen zu müssen. Obwohl diese Politik laut US-Gaap-Rechnungslegung völlig legal war, wurde der Druck seitens der Investoren so groß, dass man die Tochter mit Wirkung vom 1. Februar zurückkaufte. Aber keine Panik - der Vergleich mit Enron hinkt: Der bankrotte Stromhändler hatte fast hundert Tochterfirmen, bei denen er nicht etwa Kosten in Millionen-, sondern bilanzielle Risiken in Milliardenhöhe parkte.

Fazit: Ungeachtet der Krise wachsen die Gewinne. In einem normalen Umfeld liegt das jährliche Wachstumspotenzial des Softwarekonzerns bei über 30 Prozent. 1,8 Milliarden Dollar liquide Mittel ermöglichen strategische Akquisitionen, und das unbegründete Misstrauen hat für ein attraktives Kursniveau gesorgt. Spekulative Anleger wagen ein Engagement mit Stop-loss um 17 Euro.

telebörse

[Aeroschmidt]

Peoplesoft ist nach wie vor brandgefährlich.
Wenn du den Risikopunkt ganz nach rechts schiebst
und damit leben kannst: STRONG BUY!

Gruß

Aeroschmidt

[Pitu]

Research: Soundview senkt Gewinnschätzung für 2002 von PeopleSoft von 65 auf 54 Cents je Aktie.
Sieht Kursziel zwischen 25 und 30 Dollar.

[Pitu]

So sollte das immer laufen: Heute morgen Kauflimit aufgegeben, den ganzen Tag keine Zeit für Börse gehabt, in Abwesenheit welche für 15,8 Euro bekommen, und nun an der Nasdaq zweistellig im Plus.

[Pitu]

4:28PM PeopleSoft beats by a penny (PSFT) 14.51 -1.12: -- Update -- Reports Q2 pro forma EPS of $0.14, $0.01 better than the Multex consensus; revs were $482.2 mln, vs consensus of $471.2 mln.

nachbörslich von 14,5 auf 15,7 USD

[Pitu]

[Pitu]

Laut RSI ist PSFT inzwischen überkauft. Nach den kräftigen Kursgewinnen der letzten Tage
habe ich einen Teil meiner Peoplesoft heute zu knapp 22 Euro verkauft.

[Pitu]

Der Teilverkauf bei 21,8 Euro hat sich gelohnt.
Habe mir heute aber wieder ein paar Peoplesoft zu 16,5 geholt,
auch wenn ich etwas besorgt über die rasante Talfahrt bin.

[Pitu]

Research: SG Cowen hebt Einschätzung für PeopleSoft (PSFT) von NEUTRAL auf BUY an. (Quelle: BO)

[siscoinvestor]

PeopleSoft (PSFT) 14.45 -0.37: In pre-open note, AG Edwards initiated with a Hold, saying the uncertain environment surrounding the timing of a rebound in corporate spending on information technology causes firm to refrain from being more optimistic, and stock appears to be properly valued at current levels. Also, firm initiated on Siebel Systems (SEBL 8.24 +0.06) with a Hold, citing the unknown timing of an extended rebound, coupled with company`s organizational house cleaning after a disappointing Q2.

in play, briefing.com

[dosto]

cui bono,

wer weiß vielleicht rutscht die gurke jetzt in eine neue tradingszone, wenn die 14 nicht schnell wieder kommen,
bloß wie, soll das geschehen?

[marcopu]

Hab auch mal nen chart gemacht. Die Aktie ist jetzt wohl jenseits von gut und böse, was charttechnik angeht. Der nächste starke Rebound wird wieder in den 14er Tradingbereich gehen. Das sieht man gut im Posting 65 an den schwarzen Volumenbalken. Charttechnisch ist nach unten die nächste starke Unterstützung bei 10.3-10.5 $.

http://www.technical-investor.de/content.asp?p=cmy/frm/threa…

[siscoinvestor]

Can PeopleSoft Derail Siebel?
Tue Oct 1, 1:27 PM ET
Erika Morphy, www.CRMDaily.com

Can PeopleSoft ( Nasdaq: PSFT - news) overtake Siebel ( Nasdaq: SEBL - news) in the CRM market? It is an interesting question -- one that might seem like the wrong question to those waiting to see whether SAP ( NYSE: SAP - news) is developing enough muscle to knock Siebel off its throne.


It is true that PeopleSoft has been quietly positioning itself to dominate a unique market space, Forrester Research analyst Bruce Temkin told CRMDaily.com. "Can PeopleSoft cut into Siebel`s dominance? The answer is absolutely yes," he said.

To be sure, PeopleSoft has infused new energy, not to mention money, into its CRM division over the last two years. Brad Wilson, PeopleSoft`s vice president of marketing and recent E.piphany ( Nasdaq: EPNY - news) veteran, told CRMDaily that the ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendor has been investing heavily "in the platform, in the overall architecture of the underlying application suite, in the actual CRM applications and in the people."

In fact, Wilson said, PeopleSoft just poached four new staff members from E.piphany and Oracle ( Nasdaq: ORCL - news).

Siebel Still Dominates

Even so, dislodging Siebel will not be easy for any vendor. For all the troubles besetting the company -- and there are many these days: plunging profits, layoffs, an eroding customer base, a recent research report that showed many Siebel customers are unhappy with their application, and a number of other vendors nipping at its heels, to name just a few -- Siebel`s early grab for market share, rich feature set and aggressive vertical strategy still leave it firmly lodged in the number one position.

"Last year, Siebel reported US$2.2 billion in revenues," AMR Research analyst Kevin Scott told CRMDaily. "The vendor that came closest to touching that was SAP (NYSE: SAP), whose CRM revenues we estimated to be just under $1 billion. That is a hard gap to make up."

In certain areas, it is unlikely that PeopleSoft -- or SAP, for that matter -- will overtake Siebel. PeopleSoft`s industry-specific apps (basically, templates that keep the horizontal code intact, according to a Forrester report) do not stand a chance against Siebel`s detailed vertical apps -- except perhaps in e-government, an area in which PeopleSoft has a very large installed base already.

Where PeopleSoft Excels

In other areas, PeopleSoft makes a good case as an alternative, though. Its sales force automation (SFA) module easily goes head to head with Siebel, Scott said, "because that is where PeopleSoft grew up."

Or, consider its contact center application. Until recently, Siebel was unsurpassed in its ability to handle large-scale call centers, Temkin said. "PeopleSoft will make inroads there, especially with its new release and the release planned for later this year."

There are other functions that PeopleSoft handles well, Temkin added, including campaign management. However, "people are spending a lot of money in the call center space right now, and Siebel has dominated this space for the most part. So the call center is an important competitive ground."

Trying To Be Friendly

Then there is CEO Craig Conway`s focus on making PeopleSoft CRM much more user-friendly. Reportedly, CRM 8.8, scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2002, dramatically improves the user interface. In general, CRM applications are not user-friendly, and Siebel is no exception. To be fair, Siebel addressed this issue in its 7.5 release by linking together once-disparate functions, Siebel vice president and general manager Kevin Nix told CRMDaily.

For example, the sales forecasting process was once a series of separate steps that a user had to know how to knit together, he said.

But 8.8 is looking pretty competitive as far as user-friendly interfaces go, Temkin noted. "According to Conway, users will be able to create a new customer record with just three mouse clicks" compared with seven or more in other applications.

Back-Office Integration

PeopleSoft`s biggest advantage is its integration into back-office processes. "PeopleSoft CRM is a better fit for situations where the information that resides in back-office systems is critical to a customer service operation," Scott said.

This argument resonates especially well with PeopleSoft`s installed base, which the vendor has been aggressively mining. Last quarter, the company said it added 75 new CRM customers –- half of which came from existing clients, including such companies as Manugistics, Sybase, Crestone International and Norstan.

"There is a growing compelling argument that the cost of ownership for a CRM application can be dramatically lower if a company stays with the same vendor that supplied its back-office system," Temkin said. In fact, this is the main reason why SAP poses a bigger competitive threat than PeopleSoft, he added.

Trend Toward Small Projects

Then there is the fact that the other half of PeopleSoft`s new client wins did not use any of its other applications.

The trend in CRM these days is toward smaller projects with near-term results, which is not where Siebel excels, Wilson said. "But they still want to select a vendor with enterprise vision."

[siscoinvestor]

8:13AM Siebel Systems qtr could be at risk - Bear Stearns (SEBL) 5.65: Bear Stearns Ripple Effect believes that SEBL`s Sept qtr is at risk as a result of so much uncertainty with large deals in the CRM space; believes co will report about $135 mln in license rev, below guidance of $145-$180 mln; valuation is attractive, but risk to 2003 ests make the valuation "porous" and firm recommends staying on the sidelines. On the other hand, firm believes that PSFT`s biz has not been deteriorating as markedly and co should be able to hit the low end of its license rev guidance.

In Play, briefing.com

[Pitu]

PeopleSoft übertrifft eigene Erwartungen

Der amerikanische Softwarehersteller PeopleSoft hat im vergangenen Quartal die eigenen Erwartungen übertroffen. Demnach konnte ein Gewinn je Aktie in Höhe von 14 Cents erzielt werden. Ausgegangen war man zuvor, wie übrigens auch die Analysten, von nur 13 Cents je Aktie. Im Vorjahr lag der Gewinn je Aktie noch bei 16 Cents.

Beim Umsatz musste allerdings auch PeopleSoft einen Rückgang verzeichnen. Der Erlös ging von 520 Mio. Dollar auf 471 Mio. Dollar zurück.

Im nachbörslichen Handel konnte die Aktie einen deutlichen Anstieg von 10 Prozent auf 18 Dollar verzeichnen. Insgesamt legte der Kurs heute knapp 20 Prozent zu.

[paule66]

"Der Softwarehersteller PeopleSoft Inc. plant nach Angaben der Financial Times Deutschland eine größere Übernahme in Deutschland.
Damit wolle der US-Konzern den Konkurrenten SAP in dessen Heimatmarkt angreifen. PeopleSoft-Chef Conway habe dem Blatt demnach mitgeteilt, in den kommenden zwölf Monaten eine bedeutende Übernahme zu tätigen, um damit die Bekanntheit des Unternehmens zu steigern."

Wer könnte das sein?

[dosto]

wer in old germany steht auge in auge zu SAP.
was soll der quatsch.
wieviel marktanteil und zu welchem preis wollen die denn
kaufen?
die sollten auf dem boden der tatsache bleiben, und sich
ein anderes fleckchen auf der erde suchen,
so großartig ist die bude auch nicht, daß man sie unbedingt braucht.

[paule66]

Die Software AG wirds wohl.

[Pitu]

PeopleSoft Warns, License Revenue Off 40%

PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - commentary - research - analysis), one of the world`s largest software companies, warned that earnings and license revenue for its quarter would be well under its earlier guidance.

Blaming weak capital spending and uncertainty caused by the war, the company said it could miss license revenue estimates by as much as 40%.

The Pleasanton, Calif., company now expects first quarter earnings of 11 cents to 12 cents a share on total revenue of $450 million to $455 million. Wall Street had expected the company to earn 14 cents on revenue of $483.6 million in the March quarter.

Tellingly, PeopleSoft has reduced its guidance for a key measure -- revenue derived from license sales -- from a range of $125 million to $135 million -- to $80 million to $85 million.

PeopleSoft shares dropped $2.69, or 16.3%, to $13.81 in after-hours trading.

[Preiselbeere]

Gehts nach den Experten der Trading Central, dann sieht es charttechnisch sehr schlecht bei dem Wert aus.
(http://www.traderbikerboerse.de/forum/showthread.php?postid=… )

Erst wenn 16,30 überwunden sind, könnte eine Besserung in Sicht sein.

[der.Hexer]

07/06/2003 20:15
PeopleSoft weist Oracle-Offerte ungewohnt scharf zurück~

Berlin, 07. Jun (Reuters) - In ungewöhnlich scharfem Ton hat
der US-Softwarekonzern PeopleSoft das Übernahmeangebot
über 5,1 Milliarden Dollar des Konkurrenten Oracle in
Magazin- und Zeitungsinterviews zurückgewiesen.
PeopleSoft-Chef Craig Conway sagte der in München
erscheinenden Zeitung "Euro am Sonntag" und dem Düsseldorfer
Magazin "Wirtschaftswoche" laut redaktionellen Fassungen, er
könne sich keinen Preis oder eine Kombination aus Preis und
anderen Bedingungen vorstellen, um den PeopleSoft-Aktionären die
Annahme des Angebots zu empfehlen. Die feindliche
Übernahmeattacke sei eine "Zirkusnummer", um PeopleSoft zu
schaden und die geplante Übernahme von J.D. Edwards durch
PeopleSoft für 1,6 Milliarden Dollar zu verhindern.
Schon am Freitag hatte Conway seinen Aktionären geraten,
vorerst nicht auf die Offerte zu reagieren, aber eine Prüfung
des Angebots angekündigt. Die Offerte bezeichnete er als
schlechtes Benehmen. Sie sei ein durchsichtiger Versuch, den
Kauf von J.D. Edwards durch die im kalifornischen
Pleasanton ansässige PeopleSoft zu stören.
Der "Wirtschaftswoche" zufolge widersprach Conway zudem der
Darstellung des Oracle-Chefs Larry Ellison, er selbst sei
bereits vor einem Jahr mit dem Vorschlag an Ellison
herangetreten, die Unternehmenssoftware-Sparten beider Firmen
zusammenzulegen. Vielmehr habe er Ellison vor zwei Jahren
erfolglos angeboten, die schon damals schwächelnde Oracle-Sparte
für Unternehmenssoftware zu kaufen.
Am Freitag hatte der weltweit zweitgrößte Softwarekonzern
Oracle angekündigt, seinen Konkurrenten PeopleSoft für gut fünf
Milliarden Dollar übernehmen und damit die deutsche SAP [SAP.GER]
in deren Kerngeschäft Unternehmenssoftware stärker angreifen zu
wollen. Allerdings zweifelten Banker und Juristen, ob die
Wettbewerbsbehörden die geplante Transaktion überhaupt
genehmigen würden.
fgc/seh

[panik]

PeopleSoft Announces Preliminary Second Quarter Results
Wednesday July 2, 9:11 am ET
Company Exceeds License Revenue, Total Revenue and Earnings Per Share Guidance


PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 2003--PeopleSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq:PSFT - News) today announced preliminary results for the quarter ended June 30, 2003. Based on preliminary information, license revenue is expected to be $105 - $115 million, and total revenue is expected to be in the range of $490 - $500 million. Earnings per share from recurring operations is expected to be $0.13 - $0.14, compared to the Company`s original guidance of $0.11 - $0.12 per share. Earnings per share, including previously announced non-recurring items, is expected to be $0.10 - $0.11, compared with the Company`s original guidance of $0.08 - $0.09 per share.
ADVERTISEMENT


"This morning we announced that against all odds and odds makers, under the most challenging conditions a company can face, PeopleSoft not only met but significantly exceeded our original financial guidance," said PeopleSoft President and CEO Craig Conway.

"In an undeniable vote of confidence, both existing customers and new customers continued to select PeopleSoft for their enterprise software applications. They continued to choose PeopleSoft for our stronger products and better architecture. They continued to choose a company with a real commitment to customer satisfaction," added Conway.

Final results and additional information regarding the Company`s second quarter results will be released later this month.

Net Income Including Non-Recurring Items

The quarterly results include preliminary estimates of non-recurring after-tax items related to the previously announced closure of the Company`s Santa Clara, California, location of $0.02 per share and a charge related to previously announced headcount reductions of $0.01 per share. Earnings per share, including these non-recurring items, is expected to be $0.10 - $0.11 per share. The Company presents its results in both an earnings per share from recurring operations basis and an earnings per share including non-recurring items basis. The Company believes that presenting both types of information allows greater insight into the Company`s actual results of operations by presenting data that excludes non-recurring items which are difficult to predict and which may not be indicative of the Company`s ongoing operating results. The presentation of EPS from recurring operations should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for EPS including non-recurring items.

Company to Host Conference Call

PeopleSoft will host a conference call today, July 2, 2003, at 8:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT to discuss the preliminary results. A live audio-only web cast of the call will be made available in the Investor Relations section of the Company`s web site at www.peoplesoft.com. Interested parties may also participate by calling 888/370-7057 in the U.S. or 484/630-4574 outside the U.S.; passcode: PeopleSoft. A replay of the call will be made available for seven days following the call and will be accessible on the company`s web site or by calling 888/568-0873 or 402/998-1548, no passcode necessary.

About PeopleSoft

PeopleSoft (Nasdaq:PSFT - News) is the world`s leading provider of application software for the real-time enterprise. PeopleSoft pure internet software enables organizations to reduce costs and increase productivity by directly connecting customers, suppliers, partners and employees to business processes on-line, in real time. PeopleSoft`s integrated, best-in-class applications include Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Human Capital Management, Financial Management and Application Integration. Today more than 5,100 organizations in 140 countries run on PeopleSoft software. For more information, visit us at www.peoplesoft.com.

Additional Information

PeopleSoft commenced an exchange offer and filed a Schedule TO and a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC on June 19, 2003 with respect to the proposed acquisition of J.D. Edwards & Company. Solicitations and exchanges of J.D. Edwards stock in connection with that acquisition will only be made pursuant to the Offer to Exchange and related materials filed by PeopleSoft with the SEC. PeopleSoft also filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 containing its recommendation regarding Oracle`s tender offer. Stockholders should read these documents and any amendments thereto because they contain important information. These filings can be obtained without charge from the SEC at www.sec.gov and from PeopleSoft at www.peoplesoft.com.

Forward Looking Statements

These materials may contain forward looking statements. These statements reflect PeopleSoft`s and management`s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to PeopleSoft. These statements are only predictions and actual results may differ materially. For a more detailed discussion of information regarding risks that may affect PeopleSoft`s operating results, please refer to PeopleSoft`s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Additional risks, assumptions and uncertainties relating to the proposed acquisition of J.D. Edwards and to Oracle`s tender offer are set forth in PeopleSoft`s most recent filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and are made only as of the date they are made. PeopleSoft undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward looking statements.

PeopleSoft and the PeopleSoft logo are registered trademarks of PeopleSoft Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
PeopleSoft
Lori Varlas, 877/528-7413 (Investor Relations)
[e-mail]
Steve Swasey, 925/694-5230 (Public Relations)
[e-mail]
Dee Anna McPherson, 925/694-4112 (Public Relations)
[e-mail]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: PeopleSoft