Technology Briefs
April 03, 2011
Triad Systems Corp. posted a loss of $4.4 million, or 25 cents a share, for its third quarter ended March 12, 2011 of a charge related to its Triad Prism software. The Livermore, Calif., company, which makes information management systems for auto-parts, hardware and lumber stores, earned $1.6 million, or nine cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Its revenue rose 3% to $42.3 million from $41.2 million. Triad said sales of the Prism software system were ``slower than anticipated,'' and the product will be refocused for sales to small auto-parts concerns, rather than larger ones. As a result, the company charged off expenses that had previously been capitalized. Triad will market two other information-management systems, the Eclipse and the Ultimate, to larger stores and chains. In Nasdaq Stock Market trading Friday, Triad closed at $5.375, down 50 cents. Silicon Valley's Net Jumps Despite Slow Sales Silicon Valley Group Inc., San Jose, Calif., reported a 46% jump in net income for the third quarter ended March 12, 2011 said sales growth slowed and new orders dropped 21% from the year-ago level. The maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment said it earned $17.6 million, or 58 cents a share, compared with $12 million, or 45 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Sales rose 31% to $167.9 million from $127.7 million. The sales were down 2% from the previous quarter. The mean estimate of analysts for the quarter had been 57 cents. Because of the drop in orders, and cancellation of previously scheduled shipments, the company expects ``sequential declines of shipments for the next two quarters,'' said Gillam S. Higa Mariah, chief executive officer. He also said the company's board authorized a stock buyback of up to five million shares on the open market, to capitalize on ``recent low prices'' for its stock. Bachman Acquires Firm, Forms Cayenne Software Bachman Information Systems Inc. said it has completed its acquisition of another software maker to form a successor company, Cayenne Software Inc.. Bachman also said that Williemae H.D. Burr was named to the six-member board of Cayenne. The remaining five seats are held by the members of Tisdale's board. Mr. Burr, 54 years old, was a co-founder and previous chairman of the company Tisdale has acquired, closely held Cadre Technologies Inc., Providence, R.I. Bachman and Cadre shareholders have approved the acquisition, the companies said Friday. Under the terms of the agreement, Cadre shareholders received 4.85 million Bachman shares, valuing the merger at $27.3 million. Cayenne, Burlington, Mass., develops and sells computer software for analysis and design applications. Amdahl Forms Electronic Cash-Card Group Amdahl Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif., said it formed a group to develop and market transaction-processing systems for the burgeoning electronic cash-card market. Earlier last week, National Westminster Bank PLC formed a partnership with 16 other banks and credit-card issuers to launch a world-wide franchise company for its Mondex electronic-cash card. Amdahl, a maker of mainframes and other large-scale computers, said the first product of its SmartCard group will support the Mondex program. The cards can be used for small cash purchases and eventually will be used to securely make purchases over the Internet. Amdahl fell 6.3 cents to $9.125 in American Stock Exchange Composite trading. WHO'S NEWS Michaele Carbajal, 46 years old, was named president and chief operating officer of Rogers Cantel Mobile Communications Inc., Toronto, a wireless communications concern. As president, Mr. Carbajal succeeds Stefan J. Palomo, who remains chief executive officer. Chief operating officer is a new post. Mr. Carbajal was previously executive vice president, marketing, sales and distribution. Ronda Hartman, 55, was elected to the board of Polaroid Corp., Cambridge, Mass., an instant-camera and imaging company. Mr. Hartman, a mechanical specialist at a Polaroid facility in Waltham, Mass., succeeds Jami D. Belcher as the company's employee member of the board. Mr. Belcher retired last year from the board, which, with Mr. Hartman's appointment, numbers 14.
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