Distance Learning Site Set to Hit Street

Fortune 1,000 companies are always looking to increase employee performance
while reducing learning expenditures. These companies have found that
learning Web sites are an economic alternative to traditional stand-up
learning courses. So, it is no surprise that the industry is heating up.

Saba Software offers an Internet-based platform and related services that
enable businesses to create and deploy global learning networks. Saba hosts
the system, leaving administrators and learners only the need of a Web
browser to use it.

Although founded in 1997, Saba reports more than 2 million licensed learners
and over 20,000 learning offerings on the Saba learning networks. Some of
their customers are 3Com, Cisco Systems, Continental Airlines, Lucent
Technologies, and Procter & Gamble.

They also have the Saba Learning Exchange. This is an Internet-based
business-to-business learning marketplace designed for the buying and
selling of learning courses.

Goldman, Sachs is the lead underwriter. The proposed ticker symbol is SABA
and the price range is $12 to $14.

i3 Mobile’s technology provides users of mobile phones, palmtops, pagers
and other wireless devices with personalized information. This includes
stock quotes, news, weather, traffic, personal e-mail, and calendar
applications. They offer their products and services primarily through
co-branded distribution relationships with wireless network operators, and
with users on both a complimentary and subscription basis.

As of last December, i3 Mobile had more than 450,000 users, of which more than
100,000 were paying subscribers (kind of a novel ideal). They have
distribution relationships with more than 15 wireless network operators
such as AirTouch Cellular, AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., and SBC
Communications. In fact, they are the provider of “AT&T Personal News.”

Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown is the lead underwriter. The proposed ticker
symbol is IIIM and the projected price range is $14 to $16.

Numerical Technologies provides proprietary technologies and software
products that enable the design and manufacture of faster, smaller and more
power efficient semiconductor devices. Their patented technologies and
software products have proved themselves in the design and manufacture of
sub wavelength semiconductor devices. Using this proprietary technology,
Lucent Technologies has announced that it had developed the world’s fastest
one volt digital signal processor. Motorola is also using this proprietary
technologies in its 0.18 micron fabrication facilities.

Lately, the semiconductor industry has been in favor – and so have the
IPOs.

Credit Suisse First Boston is the lead underwriter. The proposed ticker
symbol is NMTC and the price range is $11 to $13.

Cabot Microelectronics, based outside of Chicago, is the world’s top maker
of slurries used in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), a polishing
process that enables manufacturers to produce smaller, faster, and more
complex integrated circuits. The company also makes slurries for polishing
hard disk drives.

The company is being spun off by Cabot Corp. As a grateful
offspring, Cabot Microelectronics said the expected $57 million in the IPO
will be used to pay a dividend to its parent company, which will own about 80 percent of the company. Yes, most children are a financial drain.

Goldman, Sachs is the lead underwriter. The price range is $15 to $17 and
the proposed ticker symbol is CCMP.