In essence, these companies have gone (in past) for revenue rather than market-share stability.

Now, they must go for market-share stability, because the local telephone companies ... are coming into this market, perhaps in a year or so.

We recognize that we have to become better at recapturing our market share. Liquor companies are doing a good job at targeting beer drinkers and beer-drinking occasions. So we know who the enemy is and we have to do something about it.

We don't have a monopoly. We have market share. There's a difference.

Ultimately what these companies need to do, whether combined or alone, is fend off creeping market share from SAP, ... and it's probably easier for them to do that combined.

To me the combination is a very sensible one. It's a good mix. Alcatel has done very, very well in the United States and elsewhere, but there's not that much overlap (with Lucent), so I think it's a powerful global position, possibly forcing Nortel and Ericsson to get together.