individual investors this is a good time to get in looks like this one will command some serious investors check out this article posted 1/27/00 on the globes israel arena

ECTel 1999 Sales up 47% to $42 Mln
By Keren Tsuriel


"The expansion of Internet telephony is the basis of our growth. This past year was great for us, and we are proud of the company's business results". This was said by the Aharon Shech, general manager of ECI subsidiary ECTel, on publication of the company's 1999 financial statements. Company sales in the last quarter of 1999 totaled $12.1 million, and sales in the past year amounted to $42.1 million, an increase of 46.7% over 1998.

ECTel's 1999 operating profit was $22.6 million, constituting a jump of 72%, compared with the preceding year. Most of the company's $7.5 million expenses went on sales and marketing. The company's net profit in 1999 was $3.9 million - a 554% leap over the previous year.

To all appearances, 1999 was a very good year for ECTel. The company was issued on NASDAQ at the end of October at $12 per share, and raised $48 million. The share is currently traded at $20.

ECTel's sales in the past were mostly to the defense market, with only 30% to the private communications market. The past year saw a turn-around: only 30% of sales were to the defense market, with 70% going to the private communications market. In addition, only 13% of sales were in Israel, the rest being to Europe and the US.

ECTel's customers include leading global communications companies, including Deutsche Telekom, British Telecom, AT&T, MCI, Telefonica de Espana, Spring, and Cable & Wireless.

Published by Israel's Business Arena on January 27, 2000