A recent aquisition for Intelliplus Group plc and new contracts for this company are coming in thick and fast. Result - share price is consistently heading north - Up 46% since 1/10. Perhaps one to quietly be a ten bagger over the next few months. DYOR

LOL

1.25 Million Broker BUY trade has also just come through at 11.40 pence....

Press mention : will appear in tomorrow's Daily Mail Newspaper.

Beyond the Footsie: Friday close
22 October 2004, This Is Money

UK SMALL caps closed higher today, outperforming their blue-chip peers as bid speculation surrounding Eckoh Technologies and Prestbury Holdings boosted sentiment.

The FTSE Small Cap index ended 4.7 points higher at 2,595, while the FTSE 100 index closed 2 points lower at 4,615.4.

Eckoh Technologies remained sharply higher, up 2.13p pence at 11p, after the voice recognition group confirmed it has received an approach from a third party, which may or may not lead to an offer.

It said discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that an offer will ultimately be made.

http://www.thisismoney.com/20041022/nm83841.html

Mention on Shares, Channel 4 Teletext, Page 513.

Eckoh Tech 11p 2.13p +24%

(Bid approaches received)

Press Mention : in today's Guardian Newspaper...no specific mention about the bid though has Eckoh mentioned.

Carphone Warehouse, up 6p at 160p, is thought to have run its slide rule over the business in recent weeks but no bid is believed to be imminent.

As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service.

"As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service".



Is the above paragraph trying to put Carphone Warehouse as one of the companies that might be interested....

Press mention : in Financial Times Newspaper.

2. UK small cap opening - Eckoh Technologies gains on bid talks
AFX UK (Focus), Oct 22, 2004
LONDON (AFX) - Buyers came in for Eckoh Technologies after the voice recognition group confirmed it has received an approach...

3. Eckoh Technologies in talks after possible bid approach from 3rd party
AFX UK (Focus), Oct 22, 2004
LONDON (AFX) - Eckoh Technologies PLC today confirmed it has received an approach from a third party, which may or may...

Press mention : in today's Guardian Newspaper, does actually cover the bid news as well.

Frothy Friday has traders on the run

Market forces

Richard Wray
Saturday October 23, 2004
The Guardian

Traders did not know which bid situation, or phoney bid situation in some cases, to watch yesterday - what with talk that HBOS was bidding for Prudential, approaches being made for Kidde and Eckoh Technologies, another player appearing in the Manchester United saga and stake-building by Icelandair in easyJet.

Elsewhere among the second liners, speech recognition software specialist Eckoh Technologies - what remains of former dotcom darling 365 Corporation - rocketed 23% to 11p after the company said it had received a bid approach.

Carphone Warehouse, up 6p at 160p, is thought to have run its slide rule over the business in recent weeks but no bid is believed to be imminent.

As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1334278,00.html

Press Mention : in today's Daily Telgraph Newspaper.

Mentioned in the TELEGRAPH that the ECK directors reckon this is worth at least 15p even though 11p has been mentioned as a possible bid offer BY Carphone Warehouse.Other parties will be interested they reckon!

Here it is: -

"Carphone listening to Eckoh
(Filed: 23/10/2004)


Carphone Warehouse's golf trip in Dublin teed off to an interesting start yesterday as traders speculated that the mobile phone retailer could be mulling a takeover offer.

The talk was fuelled by speech recognition technology company Eckoh Technologies confirming it had received a bid approach from a third party. Traders have speculated for the past week that Carphone Warehouse is considering making an offer at around 11p a share.

Although Eckoh did not name the predator, traders put two and two together, noting the early departure of Carphone Warehouse finance director Roger Taylor from a company golf event yesterday. Eckoh surged 2.13p to 11p on chatter that it is about to spurn the approach, because its directors believe that it is worth 15p a share. A second bidder is also rumoured to be in the frame. Carphone rose 6 to a three-and-a-half year high of 160p."

Two bidders can only be good news.

I reckon the shares could close 13-14p on Monday. 11p is too low, plus the takeover talk in the paper will increase interest. if carphone warehouse does bid, then BTs move will be intresting given that carphone warehouse now offer a competing service and they have a partnership deal. One bid will force any other serious interested parties to show their hands. 15p is probably the lowest the bid will come in at in my opinion, add another bidder and 18-22p.

Hope your right about 18-22p bit, as got in yesterday at 11p. Are you sure this is going to start a bidding war, rather than just fizzle out ?

Lifted the following from ECKs website

Looks like we can expect a Trading Update within next 5 weeks?

Any predator will probably want to agree a takeover before this date as the results can only be extremely good off the back of recently signed contracts, particularly the ITV and Trinity Mirror deals...

Calendar of Financial Results

2004 Annual General Meeting 28 July 2004

2004/5 Half Year Results November 2004

2003 Annual General Meeting 27th August

2003/4 Half Year Results November 2003

RNS Number:4038E
Eckoh Technologies PLC
25 October 2004


25 October 2004



Eckoh Technologies plc ("Eckoh")


Rule 2.10 Announcement - Relevant Securities in Issue


In accordance with Rule 2.10 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, Eckoh
confirms that, as at close of business on 21 October 2004, it had in issue
271,206,588 ordinary shares of 0.25p pence each ("Eckoh Shares").



The International Securities Identification Number for the Eckoh Shares is
GB0033359141.




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

RTTQKBKPABDDQKB

I would personally be disappointed if the company is sold for anything below 20p.
WHY?

On fundamentals alone based on previous estimates/balance sheet I believe current share price should be around 16p but then if you add goodwill and on assumption growth/profit can be improved (based on current expectations by analysts why not) then 20p it not unreasonable.

I realise my analysis is 'back of a matchbox' but I do think ECK management will be selling themselves short by saying 15p is fair price as it does not take into consideration IMHO goodwill,potential,return on capital,p/l credit they currently have etc.

twiddling my thumbs waiting for move north.......its the only way it can go...

obviously the directors are not prepared to sell ECK on the cheap

got to be a positive coming up to the trading update next month

also indicative of how the Directors view the future growth prospects for Speech Recognition division going forward...

would reckon share price will take a dip but rebound strongly once the speculators are out of the way!

Let's hope so - false dawns are always disturbing.

Any views as to wether there was any discissions with PXC.

MS

mickey

now that ECK has your attention have a butchers over the fundamentals!

ECK has the potential to be very big over the next couple of years look at the client base...

stay lucky

p.s.

wouldn't surprise me if Dubens had a look, but he's a tight bastard when it comes to price...just look at the bargain he got when he nicked HER at 2.5p a share LOL

it was very strange that Pipex shares started going up shortly after Eckoh Tech stated that takeover talks had terminated?

news item from ECKOH...interesting read and plenty more opportunities for developing their product mix...

Eckoh Technologies

M2 Presswire
01 November 2004
[What follows is the full text of the news story.]

Broadcast professionals and format developers do not see a threat to the development of interactivity from the Personal Video Recorder (PVR).

So says a new survey produced by Eckoh Technologies hard on the heels of the 6th Interactive TV Show Europe 2004 held in Barcelona last month.

Eckoh conducted an instant poll of over 300 delegates at the Show, which included leading professionals from across the European continent, the USA, and a major delegation from the UK, with 62.7 per cent of delegates stating that they did not think the PVR would be a threat to the growth and development of interactive TV.

While over 27 per cent of delegates said the PVR would, 'or might' threaten, iTV developments, the backing for the PVR must come as a relief for hardware developers in a market that is now starting to develop rapidly.

Paul Parry, managing director of Eckoh Technologies, said: "We asked delegates a number of questions at the Show and the results show some firm opinions.

There has been a long running debate on what effect PVRs will have on advertising revenues and interactive platforms, but it seems by a sizable majority, delegates at the conference in Spain felt digital gains outweighed digital pains in this respect."

The Eckoh poll also revealed that over 68 per cent of delegates feel that not enough is being done to harness the potential of sponsorship for iTV initiatives and over 60 per cent felt that not enough was being done to measure the success of the new medium.

With gambling now high on the agenda in the UK delegates were asked if they thought gaming or gambling services were a threat or an opportunity in the iTV environment. Over 70 per cent (72.8 per cent) saw it as an opportunity; 10.2 per cent as a threat; 6.8 per cent weren't sure and the rest (10.2 per cent) said they 'didn't care'.

Parry says: "The debate on gambling in the UK is likely to run for some time and I think this survey shows that, while the majority of delegates see the development of these type of services as an opportunity, there are realistic concerns about the need to show sensitivity as we move forward."

Eckoh Technologies plc designs, builds, hosts and manages speech solutions for large corporations and organisations using ASR (Advanced Speech Recognition) and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technologies. It is a leading UK service provider and infrastructure owner/operator, and intends to exploit the anticipated growth in demand for Speech Solutions across Europe.

CONTACT: Rachel Conway, TDM Marketing Associates Tel: +44 (0)162 557 5592 Simon Shrouder, Eckoh Technologies plc Tel: +44 (0)162 557 5592 Paul Parry Tel: +44 (0)870 110 0200 Fax: +44 (0)162 557 4313