MICROSOFT MEDIA EMBLAZED

2441
I broadly agree with your Orca,defense,adamind & systems senario but I cannot accept the Mobile view. The deal with Virgin ( contrary to what people here seem to think) isnot groundbreaking. It is for a pretty bog standard P2Go phone that will have been heavily subsidized by BLZ to establish penetration/brand name. The problem is, factually phone users (especially young ones) show little brand loyalty. The next phone jonny gets is based on price,looks and utilities.

BLZ have had the resources to produce some really sharp phones but they have not been able to do so- thats the bottom line.
Walk into any major operator with a brand leading design, coupled with the right price point and they would be signing up left,right and centre. Thats just a fact. But BLZ have not been able to do that.
lets not forget they've been in this game a fair few years!

I would suggest its the companies attitude that has left them at 135p/share.
The R&D spend in 2003,4,5 does not show a company that is prepared to be cutting edge, that will be the 'Apple of the phone industry'. It shows a company that is 51% private owned and whose resources are being protected by the major shareholder.
I'm fed up with these misleading RNS's ( 20:20, ROK, etc etc). What I want to see is full page classy advert (akin to a Bang and Olufsen ad) with the name "EMBLAZE- A TOWER OF POWER" infront of a really groovy looking phone.
arty De Saatchi