UK-based Tadpole Technology Plc shares fell a further 4% yesterday to 11.75 pence after the company reported its full-year figures. Revenues were down 30% to 9.3m pounds and net losses up from 3.4m pounds to 3.7m pounds. Tadpole was in deep trouble in 1997 and has a reputation for being more interested in technology than making money. Chief executive Bernard Hulme has managed to get the company focused on two product areas – portable Unix products and Java-based mobile devises aimed primarily at utilities workers. The major obstacle to profitability in the portable Unix market was overcome when Tadpole bought its competitor Carlsbad, California-based RDI Computer Corp in August 1998 (CI No 3,478) and the acquisition contributed 3m pounds to final quarter revenues. RDI has the added advantage of giving the company a product in the HP-UX space to add to its traditional Solaris offerings. Hulme reckons that the sales potential is in the region of 5,000 to 10,000 units a year. Tadpole will shortly announce an order from Platinum Software worth more than $1m, and the outfit is on the verge of breaking even.
