OpenTV Terug naar discussie overzicht

ter onderbouwing: NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Interacti

1. stoel_1 1 september 2000 16:08

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   ter onderbouwing: NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Interactive TV service stocks, beaten down earlier in the year by investors who dumped everything remotely connected with the Internet, are back in favor. News that AT&T (ATT: news, msgs) is searching for new software partners, Microsoft (MSFT: news, msgs) is enhancing its TV offerings, and a new deal announced Wednesday between Bell South (BLS: news, msgs) and Liberate Technologies (LBRT: news, msgs), has sent shares of firms in the sector soaring in the last few days. Shares of Liberate Technologies -- one of the firms reported to be in talks with AT&T - have jumped some 200 percent from their 52-week low of $10.50 in early August, to $30.75 on Thursday. While both AT&T and Liberate won't comment on reports about any talks, Jack Ripsteen, an analyst at Chase H&Q who covers Liberate, said that if AT&T was looking for additional providers, Liberate would be on its short list. Today on CBS MarketWatch Markets look to morning rally Due Diligence: Harley just keeps on rolling Job market slows again in August Japan launches Internet strategy Bond Report: Treasury's firm on mild jobs report More top stories... CBS MarketWatch Columns Updated: 9/1/2000 8:49:28 AM ET Interactive TV software makers offer programs that, when downloaded to a TV set-top box, enables interactive services, such as electronic program guides, e-mail, e-commerce and video on demand. On Wednesday, Liberate's shares rose $3.88, or 16 percent, to $28.31 on news that BellSouth's new satellite TV service will use its services when it begins next spring. The services will be available to more than 14 million BellSouth customers and may eventually be available to as many as 50 million across BellSouth's territories in the Southeast, according to the company. Other interactive TV software makers, such as Open TV (OPTV: news, msgs) and Wink Technologies (WINK: news, msgs), have also benefited from what analyst David Lee Smith at Dain Rauscher Wessels calls "a reawakening of the markets for the potential of this group." Open TV, which had gone public in November 1999, rose to $245.75 in January, only to lose 84 percent of its market value to a low of $35.18 earlier in August. It has since jumped 64 percent. Shares of the company were up more than 14 percent Thursday alone, closing at $55.50. Wink, which had also experienced a decline, dropping from $75 to just above $13 as recently as Tuesday. The company's shares have since surged 29 percent following the announcement of the deal between Liberate and Bell South. "The market had turned away from this group," Smith said, as investors felt that interactive television services were too far off. Randy Livingston, CFO of Open TV, is encouraged, but wary of the recent upswing in his company's stock price. "We've seen a range of variability in the stock price," he said, recalling the "very unpleasant ride down." But Livingston, noting that Open TV has proven solution being used in 9.3 million set top boxes, believes that Open TV has a distinct advantage over Microsoft's enhanced TV product. News reports have stated the launch of these service from Microsoft have been delayed several times, which Microsoft spokesman Chadd Haase denies. AT&T and MS TV are committed to working together and are in testing and integration phase of this project and are confident that they will rollout the best product possible for enhanced television purposes," he said. Livingston said interactive television services, including e-commerce applications where couch potatoes can order pizzas with the click of a button, would be part of the regular television experience for Americans. Whatever the case, Jack Ripsteen, an analyst at Chase H &Q who covers Liberate, says if Microsoft doesn't roll out its product soon it "could mean additional customer wins" for the Liberate and others.