LETTERS

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LETTERS

Cisco on the Rise

I would like to comment on your recent article on Cisco (WT, Jan. 23). It was wonderfully written and definitely outlined the future for Cisco. I wanted to give you some feedback for a follow-up article. Cisco's federal business, as you mentioned is climbing to $1 billion, and a large part of that federal growth has been moving toward a two-tier model. Currently, Comstor is the exclusive distributor of Cisco's Enterprise products into the federal marketplace. In the last six months, Comstor has witnessed tremendous growth in Cisco's market share in the federal market. As a matter of fact, Cisco introduced, in 1996, online ordering through its Internet Web site. Comstor represented 30 percent of Cisco's electronic commerce for 1996.

Paul C. Snyder

Comstor Inc.

Chantilly,Va.

pcsnyder@comstor.com

Software License Laws Aren't Logical

All the software companies want legal protection from abuse but none that I know of guarantees their product to perform as advertised (WT, Jan. 23). In fact, if you'll read one of the license agreements: "The software and documentation is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose." If the law was logical, you would be unable to get legal protection for a product that didn't do anything.

Walter Newell

NEWELLW@mail.wes.army.mil

Does It Really Cost That Much?

After reading your article on the 1998 World Congress on Information Technology and borrowing your gambling imagery, I will bet against the dice. The study cited "estimates the four-day event will generate $17.5 million from about 1,500 attendees" that they "would spend on hotel rooms, restaurants, recreation, sightseeing, gas and other expenses."

If this were true, each attendee would spend $11,667 in his/her four-day sojourn or over $2,900 each day in Northern Virginia. Is the cost of living that punishing around there?

Alan Gotthelf

Softport Systems Inc.

New York City

alang@softport.nyc.ny.us

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