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Eleven analysts and top management from sixty-one sector firms examine the technology & communications sector in this special 238-page U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Technology & Communications Conference issue from The Wall Street Transcript, available at (212/952-7433) or http://www.twst.com/info/info396.htm

TWST: Do either of those two, Handspring (Nasdaq:HAND) or Palm (Nasdaq:PALM), face any funding issues?

Mr. Crawford: Both. RIM (Nasdaq:RIMM) does not. Research in Motion has its own technology, its own operating system, devices, radios, software. The company does soup-to-nuts wireless devics optimized for e-mail in a corporate environment. RIM is the poster child for what is right in mobile computing — an optimized device, long battery life, excellent radio technology. They sell the complete solution. So RIM’s technology is market-leading and complete. Its market is the enterprise market, with a small bleed-over into consumer, but very small. It’s mostly an enterprise play. And while RIM’s technology and devices could be used in more of a consumer market, probably the high-end consumer, it’s less likely. The company is optimized for corporate customers, and that’s where they have their advantages. Survivability I think in the intermediate term is good. Long term it’s a question mark, and that is simply based upon the possibility of a reduction in the number of players longer term. But RIM doesn’t just do devices, they do the software, and then they sell it with services, and that software position is really the barrier to entry.

TWST: What is your current recommendation? What do you base that on?

Mr. Crawford: On Handspring we have a neutral, Palm is a buy, and then RIM is a neutral. I have two categories of stocks, consumer and enterprise, and they have different drivers right now. The consumer side is controlled by consumer spending, but also the inventory glut that we talked about. The enterprise side is controlled by enterprise IT spending, and that has been ratcheted down significantly, and it has curtailed growth for all of the companies, even the leader, Research in Motion. So my recommendation for RIM is dependent upon IT spending, and that needs to turn around for RIM’s stock to really do well. But it is my top pick in the enterprise space and overall. The company, again, is the poster child for what to do right when assembling technology and packaging it in a way that people can use it. This company is based in Waterloo, Canada. You don’t think of Waterloo, Canada, as a technology leader. You might not think that these guys are going to really get it, and yet they do. They understand the idea of usability. Your BlackBerry is set to vibrate when an e-mail comes. It vibrates, you pull it up out of the holster, and there on the screen is the message that caused the alert. You don’t have to touch anything. You don’t have to whip up the wand on a Palm VII and pull down information, wait for it to arrive, and click through a couple of screens to get what you want. It’s just there. And it seems so simple and elegant, like that’s the way it should be — but it’s not the way that other people are doing it! What does it take to get to where they are? Well, there is a lot of complexity in developing that type of solution. It’s not something for which people can close the gap right away.

This special issue includes:

1) Wireless Communications & Mobile Computing - In an in-depth (1,600 words) Analyst Interview, Samuel May, Managing Director of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

2) Mobile Computing Communications - In an in-depth (4,100 words) Analyst Interview, William Crawford, Vice President at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

3) Business Commerce & Software - In an in-depth (2,200 words) Analyst Interview, Jon Ekoniak, Vice President at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

4) Entertainment Software Stocks - In an in-depth (2,700 words) Analyst Interview, Anthony Gikas, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

5) Collaborative Enterprise Commerce - In an in-depth (2,600 words) Analyst Interview, Timothy Klein, Research Analyst at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

6) Outlook for Optical Components - In an in-depth (1,700 words) Analyst Interview, Conrad Leifur, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

7) Technology & Business Services - In an in-depth (2,800 words) Analyst Interview, Brett Manderfeld, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

8) Education & Learning Services - In an in-depth (2,300 words) Analyst Interview, Mark Marostica, Senior Research Analyst covering Learning Services at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

9) Broadband Service Delivery - In an in-depth (3,600 words) Analyst Interview, Frank McEvoy, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

10) Internet Media & Commerce - In an in-depth (4,200 words) Analyst Interview, Safa Rashtchy, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

11) Communication Services Companies - In an in-depth (4,000 words) Analyst Interview, Cary Robinson, Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc., examines the outlook for the sector and shares specific stock recommendations.

12) CEO and Sponsored interviews (average 2,500 words). Top management of sixty-one sector firms examine the outlook for their firm and the sector.