Evans/Extar Case Rocks Stocks

WALL STREET -- The ongoing investigation into the data theft scandal involving software developers Evans Business Solutions and Extar Systems is beginning to show real impact on investors. The stock market closed today with both companies substantially down. Evans took the biggest hit with the value of its stock falling 4 3/4 on concerns that there is serious corruption in the ranks of the company's management.

As the news coming out of Houston worsens with each passing day, at least three of the company's top executives have been accused of stealing research data and passing it to rival Extar Systems. Among those accused are Peter Evans, the company's CSO, Diane Webber, Controller, and Kate Hoffman, IT Director.

Although there is still evidence that an outside party—including the notorious hacker and virus author "Slash"—may be responsible for the theft, many stockholders see the mere accusations as a reason to sell. As one investor explained, "Software stocks aren't cheap, and with a leading company like Evans you're talking big bucks to buy into the company. If allegations turn out to be true and there is a corporate reshuffling, the bottom could fall out. I, for one, don't want to see my portfolio take that kind of hit."

Tina Evans, president of the Houston-based software vendor, was unavailable for comment, but unspecified sources within the company's accounting department revealed that at least one bank is considering revoking Evans's line of credit—a move that could hamper efforts to complete the delayed product that would compete with Extar's "stolen" solution.

"The best thing for both Evans and Extar," explained Houston Record financial analyst Theresa Powell, "would be for a quick resolution of the investigation. Even if one of the Evans executives turns out to be guilty, the company can recover; but this drawn out investigation is slowly killing them."

Bytware Receives Three Awards from the American Advertising Federation

RENO, NV -- The Northern Nevada ADDY Awards were held on Friday, March 4, 2005, at Harrah’s Reno Convention Center. Bytware walked away with three Silver ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation for its 2004 marketing efforts.

The ADDY Awards is the only three-tiered advertising competition in the United States and each year highlights the very best in advertising, marketing, and design. The Northern Nevada ADDY Awards saw nearly 500 entries this year.

Bytware received a Silver ADDY for its 2004 print ad campaign “Battle Tested. Battle Proven.” which won honors in the 4-color Print Campaign category. Another Silver ADDY was awarded to Bytware in the category of Specialty Advertising Other Merchandise for its Tech Tip Bookmarks, which were distributed at Bytware’s booth at the COMMON and IBM Tech conferences.

Finally, Bytware took another Silver ADDY in Consumer Campaign Flat for its “Get a Clue” game pieces that tie into the Great Security Caper game, a centerpiece of the company’s 2004 marketing campaign. The Great Security Caper can be found at www.houstonrecord.com.



The winning work...



SILVER ADDY:
CAMPAIGN 4-COLOR






SILVER ADDY:
CONSUMER CAMPAIGN FLAT




SILVER ADDY:
SPECIALTY ADVERTISING
OTHER MERCHANDISE




Look Out Papa Smurf! '80s Makes Comeback with a Vengeance

NEW YORK -- Proving that history is doomed to repeat itself and that some things just never go completely out of style, the toys of the '80s are back. Having skipped a generation, toy makers have dusted off the backroom shelves and pulled out some all-time favorites.

"Today's parents will remember these loveable playthings from their childhoods," explains Jennifer Smith, editor of the toy collectors journal 'Wammo!'. "We all have a fondness for the things of our youth, and toy makers are banking on the fact that today's 30-somethings will dish out big bucks to give their children the toys that they once enjoyed; or then again it could just be that toy makers have run out of ideas."





With all of your favorite '80s toys once again hitting the shelves, you can play along with your children as they dream up all new ways to help He-Man defeat Skeletor.



Smith's plausible-turned-cynical analysis aside, a quick visit to the aisles of the local toy store will turn up a plethora of Reagan-era fun stuff. There's Strawberry Shortcake to be had, as well as Care Bears and Cabbage Patch Kids. And if your son's Masters of the Universe figures need some transporation, they can always hop on the once again available My Little Pony.

Another group that has become excited about the return of the '80s is the aquarium enthusiast crowd. "I love fish, but I just don't have time to keep my aquariums clean and properly maintained," laments Igor Rybavich. "But now that Sea Monkeys are back, I can ditch the big glass tank and still have hours of fun watching little critters swim!"

That's right, Sea Monkeys, the joy of many a 10-year-old-boy's weekends are available once again. Now there's nothing stopping a whole new generation from tearing open a packet of dried brine shrimp and watching them magically come to life when mixed with water. "The only thing I have found different about working with Sea Monkeys in the 21st century," adds Rybavich, "is that you'd better use bottled water. The stuff coming out of the tap these days could kill them."

The one '80s favorite that is noticeably missing from toy store shelves are the Smurfs. Those cute little blue fellows that caused Azrael so much anguish appear to be AWOL. Without a big comeback, this latest generation of He-Man and Transformers-toting youngsters will never know the joy of opening one of Jokey Smurf's trick boxes or chuckle as Vanity Smurf misses some important event because he was too caught up in looking at himself in his mirror.

But there's still lots of great '80s stuff to choose from, and the new Atari 2600 and Activision joysticks—which contain all of the platform's games in a single joystick that plugs right into your TV—will surely make up for any missing Saturday morning cartoon characters. And with a little luck, maybe Hokey-Pokey Smurfette will soon be dancing the night away on aisle 16 of the neighborhood Toys 'R' Us.



Other Business Stories

Be sure to uncover all the clues...

Issue 1

Fall in Love with Security in 2004
Bytware has developed the StandGuard Premier Customer program. The program allows StandGuard Anti-Virus customers to pick and choose the StandGuard Security products that best suit their needs, building their own custom suite, and do it at substantial promotional savings! :: View full story.

Spam Costing Companies Millions Each Year
There's virtually no computer user in the world who has not felt the frustration of unwanted commercial e-mail, also known as Spam, which floods the inboxes of millions daily and threatens to render e-mail useless. :: View full story.

U.S. Economy Expected to Hit 4.5% Growth Rate in 2004
Financial forecasters predict that the US economy could see its largest annual growth since 1984 in the coming year. :: View full story.

Issue 2

Mydoom Hits iSeries
As the original Mydoom worm (W32/Mydoom@MM) continues to spread at blazing speeds around the world, a second variant has been unleashed and is adding to the already overwhelming bandwidth consumption worldwide. In another twist that may have been unexpected by many IT administrators, Mydoom has also hit the iSeries.
View full story.

Evans Business Solutions Centralizes iSeries Operations
Local tech vendor Evans Business Solutions recently moved to centralize its global iSeries operations to ensure smooth business, embracing the concept of on demand computing. :: View full story.

IBM Enhances iSeries with New Solutions Supported by Software Vendors
Adding to its arsenal of solutions running on the IBM eServer iSeries, IBM today announced that more than 300 new Linux and WebSphere solutions have been successfully ported to the iSeries platform. The addition of the solutions over the last year is in response to demand from server customers around the world.
View full story.

Issue 3

Extar Stock on the Rise
Extar Systems, the California-based software company that announced a revolutionary new online commerce management product at the recent EXcomp Technology in Chicago said today that it has enjoyed a steady rise in stock value since the product launch. :: View full story.

Low Carb Continues to be a Boon for Business
The latest diet craze to sweep America -- the "Low Carb Revolution" -- continues to gain momentum and is one of the biggest boons for the food industry in years.
View full story.

Intercompany Romances Can Spell Disaster
We've all heard the advice that it's best not to date someone you work with. Such arrangements can often make for a tense office environment when the relationship ends. Another piece of advice that is less often heard is that employers should discourage their staff from dating workers from competing companies.
View full story.

Issue 4

Global Security Survey Results are Troubling for IT
It's no secret that security risks are widespread and growing. As technology outpaces the framework and guidelines within which it is used, the opportunities for data and identity theft are flourishing. :: View full story.

Is Jelly Belly on your Breath?
For years nutritional experts have said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the population doesn't subscribe to this belief. Jelly Belly is considering a new approach. :: View full story.

Consumers Find Relief from Gas Prices in Unlikely Place
Soaring gas prices have been making a dent in consumers' pocket books all spring, and nowhere has the pain been felt more than in Southern California. As prices approached $3 per gallon, drivers decided to fight back. :: View full story.