It looks like life is being pumped into the IPO market. New IPOs are being
filed daily and the backlog has several hundred companies ready to go. If
they all come off, it would be a mad scramble. (Just like the Old West,
settlers wildly galloping on horses and wagons, trying to get the best farm
land in the old land rush days!)
Sonus Networks provides hardware and
software infrastructure products for integrated, packet-based network
carrying both voice and data traffic.
Sonus clients include long distance carriers, wholesale carriers, Internet
service providers, and cable operators.
Sonus Networks has just recently expanded into Europe, Middle East and
Africa. The company has established its overseas headquarters in Britain.
They are in a rough field as competition is strong. Some of their
competitors are vendors of networking and telecommunications equipment, such
as Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, and Siemens.
Goldman, Sachs is the lead underwriter. The market symbol is SONS and the
price range is $19 to $21.
Integrated Circuit Systems offers specialized
mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) called silicon timing devices, which
helps electronic systems work in synchronization. Its products are on such
devices as PC motherboards, digital cameras, and DVD players.
Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Integrated Circuit Systems also
has facilities in San Jose, California. The company does its manufacturing
in Asia. Some of their customers include Dell, IBM, and Lucent.
Credit Suisse First Boston is the lead underwriter. The proposed market
symbol is ICST and the price range is $15 to $17.
ONI Systems, formerly Optical
Networks, makes fiber-optic equipment specifically designed for
metropolitan and regional networks. Customers include COLT Telecom and
Williams Communications.
Clouding the future of ONI Systems is that it is being sued by Nortel
Networks Corp., who claims that ONI infringed on Nortel’s patents and
misappropriated trade secrets. The suit alleges that ONI lured away Nortel
employees to gain technology secrets.
Goldman, Sachs is the lead underwriter. The market symbol is ONIS and the
price range is $14 to $16.
StorageNetworks
provides data storage services on it vast fiber-optic network. Their storage
network lets customers connect their computer systems to its network to
store and access their data. Customers will have the ability to request
additional capacity and capabilities whenever their storage needs increase.
Compaq Computer Corporation recently formed a strategic relationship with
StorageNetworks.
Goldman, Sachs is the lead underwriter. The market symbol is STOR and the
price range is $17 to $19.