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Wild Cards I
Synopsis | Excerpt | Reviews | Images
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Tor, 2010
iBooks, 2002
Bantam Spectra, 1987
Series: Wild Cards: Book 1
0. When We Were Heroes
0. The Button Man and the Murder Tree
0. The Elephant in the Room
0. Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza
0. Prompt. Professional. Pop!
0. Discards
0. Witness
0. The Thing About Growing up in Jokertown
0. The Atonement Tango
0. When the Devil Drives
0. Evernight
0. The Flight of Morpho Girl
0. Fitting In
0. How to Move Spheres and Influence People
0. Long is the Way
1. Wild Cards I
2. Aces High
3. Jokers Wild
4. Aces Abroad
5. Down and Dirty
6. Ace in the Hole
7. Dead Man's Hand
8. One-Eyed Jacks
9. Jokertown Shuffle
10. Double Solitaire
11. Dealer's Choice
12. Turn of the Cards
13. Card Sharks
14. Marked Cards
15. Black Trump
16. Deuces Down
17. Death Draws Five
18. Inside Straight
19. Busted Flush
20. Suicide Kings
21. Fort Freak
22. Lowball
23. High Stakes
24. Mississippi Roll
25. Low Chicago
26. Texas Hold'em
27. Knaves Over Queens
Book Type: Anthology
Genre: Science-Fiction
Sub-Genre Tags: Alternate History (SF)
Superhero Fantasy
If you liked Wild Cards I you might like these books.
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valashain
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Back in print after a decade, expanded with new original material, this is the first volume of George R. R. Martin's Wild cards shared-world series
There is a secret history of the world-a history in which an alien virus struck the Earth in the aftermath of World War II, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Some were called Aces-those with superhuman mental and physical abilities. Others were termed Jokers-cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. Some turned their talents to the service of humanity. Others used their powers for evil. Wild Cards is their story.
Originally published in 1987, Wild Cards I includes powerful tales by Roger Zelazny, Walter Jon Williams, Howard Waldrop, Lewis Shiner, and George R. R. Martin himself. And this new, expanded edition contains further original tales set at the beginning of the Wild Cards universe, by eminent new writers like Hugo-winner David Levine, noted screenwriter and novelist Michael Cassutt, and New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.
Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!
JETBOY'S LAST ADVENTURE!
by Howard Waldrop
BONHAM'S FLYING SERVICE OF Shantak, New Jersey, was socked in. The small searchlight on the tower barely pushed away the darkness of the swirling fog.
There was the sound of car tires on the wet pavement in front of Hangar 23. A car door opened, a moment later it closed. Footsteps came to the Employees Only door. It opened. Scoop Swanson came in, carrying his Kodak Autograph Mark II and a bag of flashbulbs and film.
Lincoln Traynor raised up from the engine of the surplus P–40 he was overhauling for an airline pilot who had got it at a voice-bid auction for $293. Judging from the shape of the engine, it must have been flown by the Flying Tigers in 1940. A ball game was on the workbench radio. Linc turned it down.
" 'Lo, Linc," said Scoop.
" 'Lo."
"No word yet?"
"Don't expect any. The telegram he sent yesterday said he'd be in tonight. Good enough for me."
Scoop lit a Camel with a Three Torches box match from the workbench. He blew smoke toward the Absolutely No Smoking sign at the back of the hangar. "Hey, what's this?" He walked to the rear. Still in their packing cases were two long red wing extensions and two 300-gallon teardrop underwing tanks. "When these get here?"
"Air Corps shipped them yesterday from San Francisco. Another telegram came for him today. You might as well read it, you're doing the story." Linc handed him the War Department orders.
TO: Jetboy (Tomlin, Robert NMI)
HOR: Bonham's Flying Service
Shantak, New Jersey
1. Effective this date 1200Z hours 12 Aug '46, you are no longer on active duty, United States Army Air Force.
2. Your aircraft (model-experimental) (ser. no. JB–1) is hereby decommissioned from active status, United States Army Air Force, and reassigned you as private aircraft. No further materiel support from USAAF or War Department will be forthcoming.
3. Records, commendations, and awards forwarded under separate cover.
4. Our records show Tomlin, Robert NMI, has not obtained pilot's license. Please contact CAB for courses and certification.
5. Clear skies and tailwinds,
Arnold, H.H.
CofS, USAAF
ref: Executive Order #2, 08 Dec '41
"What's this about him having no pilot's license?" asked the news-paperman. "I went through the morgue on him--his file's a foot thick. Hell, he must have flown faster and farther, shot down more planes than anyone--five hundred planes, fifty ships! He did it without a pilot's license?"
Linc wiped grease from his mustache. "Yep. That was the most planecrazy kid you ever saw. Back in '39, he couldn't have been more than twelve, he heard there was a job out here. He showed up at four A.M.--lammed out of the orphanage to do it. They came out to get him. But of course Professor Silverberg had hired him, squared it with them."
"Silverberg's the one the Nazis bumped off? The guy who made the jet?"
"Yep. Years ahead of everybody, but weird. I put together the plane for him, Bobby and I built it by hand. But Silverberg made the jets--damnedest engines you ever saw. The Nazis and Italians, and Whittle over in England, had started theirs. But the Germans found out something was happening here."
"How'd the kid learn to fly?"
"He always knew, I think," said Lincoln. "One day he's in here helping me bend metal. The next, him and the professor are flying around at four hundred miles per. In the dark, with those early engines."
"How'd they keep it a secret?"
"They didn't, very well. The spies came for Silverberg--wanted him and the plane. Bobby was out with it. I think he and the prof knew something was up. Silverberg put up such a fight the Nazis killed him. Then there was the diplomatic stink. In those days the JB–1 only had six .30 cals on it--where the professor got them I don't know. But the kid took care of the car full of spies with it, and that speedboat on the Hudson full of embassy people. All on diplomatic visas.
"Just a sec," Linc stopped himself. "End of a doubleheader in Cleveland. On the Blue Network." He turned up the metal Philco radio that sat above the toolrack.
". . . Sanders to Papenfuss to Volstad, a double play. That does it. So the Sox drop two to Cleveland. We'll be right--" Linc turned it off. "There goes five bucks," he said. "Where was I?"
"The Krauts killed Silverberg, and Jetboy got even. He went to Canada, right?"
"Joined the RCAF, unofficially. Fought in the Battle of Britain, went to China against the Japs with the Tigers, was back in Britain for Pearl Harbor."
"And Roosevelt commissioned him?"
"Sort of. You know, funny thing about his whole career. He fights the whole war, longer than any other American--late '39 to '45--then right at the end, he gets lost in the Pacific, missing. We all think he's dead for a year. Then they find him on that desert island last month, and now he's coming home."
There was a high, thin whine like a prop plane in a dive. It came from the foggy skies outside. Scoop put out his third Camel. "How can he land in this soup?"
"He's got an all-weather radar set--got it off a German night fighter back in '43. He could land that plane in a circus tent at midnight."
They went to the door. Two landing lights pierced the rolling mist. They lowered to the far end of the runway, turned, and came back on the taxi strip.
The red fuselage glowed in the gray-shrouded lights of the airstrip. The twin-engine high-wing plane turned toward them and rolled to a stop.
Linc Traynor put a set of double chocks under each of the two rear tricycle landing gears. Half the glass nose of the plane levered up and pulled back. The plane had four 20mm cannon snouts in the wing roots between the engines, and a 75mm gunport below and to the left of the cockpit rim.
It had a high thin rudder, and the rear elevators were shaped like the tail of a brook trout. Under each of the elevators was the muzzle of a rear-firing machine gun. The only markings on the plane were four nonstandard USAAF stars in a black roundel, and the serial number JB–1 on the top right and bottom left wings and beneath the rudder.
The radar antennae on the nose looked like something to roast weenies on.
A boy dressed in red pants, white shirt, and a blue helmet and goggles stepped out of the cockpit and onto the drop ladder on the left side.
He was nineteen, maybe twenty. He took off his helmet and goggles. He had curly mousy brown hair, hazel eyes, and was short and chunky.
"Linc," he said. He hugged the pudgy man to him, patted his back for a full minute. Scoop snapped off a shot.
"Great to have you back, Bobby," said Linc.
"Nobody's called me that in years," he said. "It sounds real good to hear it again."
"This is Scoop Swanson," said Linc. "He's gonna make you famous all over again."
"I'd rather be asleep." He shook the reporter's hand. "Any place around here we can get some ham and eggs?"
The launch pulled up to the dock in the fog. Out in the harbor a ship finished cleaning its bilges and was turning to steam back southward.
There were three men on the mooring: Fred and Ed and Filmore. One man stepped out of the launch with a suitcase in his hands. Filmore leaned down and gave the guy at the wheel of the motorboat a Lincoln and two Jacksons. Then he helped the guy with the suitcase.
"Welcome home, Dr. Tod."
"It's good to be back, Filmore." Tod was dressed in a baggy suit, and had on an overcoat even though it was August. He wore his hat pulled low over his face, and from it a glint of metal was reflected in the pale lights from a warehouse.
"This is Fred and this is Ed," said Filmore. "They're here just for the night."
" 'Lo," said Fred.
" 'Lo," said Ed.
They walked back to the car, a '46 Merc that looked like a submarine. They climbed in, Fred and Ed watching the foggy alleys to each side. Then Fred got behind the wheel, and Ed rode shotgun. With a sawed-off tengauge.
"Nobody's expecting me. Nobody cares," said Dr. Tod. "Everybody who had something against me is either dead or went respectable during the war and made a mint. I'm an old man and I'm tired. I'm going out in the country and raise bees and play the horses and the market."
"Not planning anything, boss?"
"Not a thing."
He turned his head as they passed a streetlight. Half his face was gone, a smooth plate reaching from jaw to hatline, nostril to left ear.
"I can't shoot anymore, for one thing. My depth perception isn't what it used to be."
"I shouldn't wonder," said Filmore. "We heard something happened to you in '43."
"Was in a somewhat-profitable operation out of Egypt while the Afrika Korps was falling apart. Taking people in and out for a fee in a nominally neutral air fleet. Just a sideline. Then ran into that hotshot flier."
"Kid with the jet plane, before the Germans had them."
"Tell you the truth, boss, I didn't keep up with the war much. I take a long view on merely territorial conflicts."
"As I should have," said Dr. Tod. "We were flying out of Tunisia. Some important people were with us that trip. The pilot s...
Copyright © 1987 by George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards I - George R.R. Martin
- valashain
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Battling A Beef Ban, Indian Butchers Seek Permission To Slaughter Jersey Cows
FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2012 file photo, a pair of Jersey cows lean on each other at the Goodrich farm in Danville, Vt. Officials are optimistic about the outlook for the state's dairy industry in 2014, with relatively strong milk prices, growth in the number of in state processors and increasing exports of U.S. dairy products. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
MUMBAI — Battling a beef ban that has threatened their livelihoods, Muslim traders in India are seeking permission to slaughter foreign-origin Jersey cows they think will not be as sacred to the country's majority Hindus as locally bred cattle.
Several states led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have either brought new laws to ban beef or tightened curbs on killing cattle.
India is the world's largest beef exporter and fifth biggest consumer, with the trade dominated by the minority Muslim community who have protested against the latest restrictions with little success.
The All India Milli Council, a platform for Muslims in the country, now says it supports the beef ban but would like the government to find them alternatives. They hope Jerseys, a dairy cow originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, could be an option.
"We demand the government to allow us kill Jersey cows, which are of foreign origin and religious sentiments are not attached to them," said M.A. Khalid, general secretary of the council's unit in the western state of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra is home to India's largest abattoir, Deonar, and the state in February extended a ban on killing of cows to bulls and bullocks. On Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shot down the idea of allowing the killing of Jersey cows.
"There are no exceptions," he told Reuters.
Since the ban in Maharashtra, slaughtering of big cattle in Deonar has nearly halved to 200-250 animals, mostly buffalo. Several workers have been left jobless and Fadnavis said his government was considering a rehabilitation plan for the worst affected Qureshi community. He gave no details.
Hindu groups, meanwhile, are working on the wellbeing of cattle that are likely to be stranded due to the beef ban.
Vyankatesh Abdeo, All India Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or the World Hindu Council, said they would protect any breed of cow and increase the number of cow shelters in the state by eight times to 5,000 this year.
"Every cow is sacred to us regardless of it's breed," Abdeo said.
MORE: All India Milli Council All India Secretary Beef Ban beef exporter Bharatiya Janata Party Channel Island Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hindu news politics India jersey Jersey cows MA Khalid muslim Narendra Modi prime minister Qureshi community Vishwa Hindu Parishad Vyankatesh Abdeo World Hindu Council

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Franz Xaver Ölzant (1934, Oberzeiring, Estiria) es un escultor austriaco. Vive y trabaja en la pequeña localidad de Pfaffenschlag en Waidhofen an der Thaya.

Vida
Ölzant estudió desde 1955 hasta 1958 en la Universidad de Artes Aplicadas de Viena. En el verano de 1969 asistió al Simposio de Escultura de Santa Margarita de Burgenland. De 1978 a 1982 acudió a la Academia de Bellas Artes de Viena, donde también ocupó una cátedra desde 1986 hasta 2001.

Obras
 1979:Selva, en Calle de las Esculturas (St. Wendel)
 1994:Basílica, 97 Dioritfindlinge, en Waidhofen an der Thaya

Premios
 1980 - Premio de Escultura de la Ciudad de Viena

Enlaces externos

 Website de Franz Xaver Ölzant (en alemán) (en inglés)

Fuente

Escultores de Austria del siglo XX
Escultores de Austria del siglo XXI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


News Corp. named James Murdoch deputy chief operating officer, bringing him to New York from London and handing him more responsibilities under his father, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch.
James Murdoch, 38, will also become Chairman and CEO of the international unit, according to an e-mailed statement from the company today. In the newly created role, James Murdoch will develop strategy and build new franchises, continuing to report to COO Chase Carey.
The appointment may strengthen the younger Murdoch's position as the leading contender to succeed his father, who is 80, at the helm of News Corp. James Murdoch has worked at the company for 15 years and run many pieces of the business, including a group that accounts for about 20 percent of the company's revenue.
News Corp. rose 15 cents to $17.41 at 10:02 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The stock had climbed 19 percent this year before today.


Have you tried a massage?
With economic globalization,It seems that all of us keep getting busier, and fewer people have time for a full spa massage experience. So the massage chair is the perfect choice.
Massage chair are lightweight,portable padded chairs designed to allow for massage while a client is seated.There are some great treatment tables that are portable,Good folding models are small enough that you could travel to your client on the subway or anywhere else, something you would never want to do with a folding massage table.
Just like with treatment tables, it's important to take note of the the chair's adjustment, comfort, and working weight (the amount of weight the chair can hold.)It's a first impression of sorts. If your chair or table isn't comfortable, safe feeling, and professional looking, it can harm your business reputation.
Having a portable massage chair expands the number of environments and clients you can access. Some people have a difficult time getting onto a treatment table due to injury or disability.But don't worry, There are a few great electric lift massage tables for this problem.
Massage chairs may be a more accessible option for some clients you might not otherwise be able to treat.Chair massages are also ideal for clients who for whatever reason, don't feel comfortable getting undressed for a traditional massage. Since chair massages are performed dressed, it's a great alternative for those dealing with body issues, personal trauma, or just personal preference.
For any off site location, a chair gives you great mobility and versatility.Massage chairs are preferable to folding massage tables in many off site locations like fairs and other events, especially those with grassy or uneven ground. Many corporate offices will employ massage therapists to come into the office and make themselves available to the staff for short stress-relieving massages.
All the specs can sometimes make your head spin so let's go over the best massage chairs and see what your top options are.


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Home » Stone-cold performance
Stone-cold performance
Jim Douglas
KEYWORDS cold storage / forklift / lift trucks / material handling / perishables / refrigerated warehouse
Brrrr. It's no secret that a cold refrigerated and frozen food warehouse environment presents certain equipment challenges to facility managers and employees.
One company that knows the subject well is United States Cold Storage, Inc. (USCS), a 110-year-old refrigerated warehouse operator. This Voorhees, N.J.-based company owns a national network of cold storage warehouses with more than 150 million cubic feet of combined space. USCS provides warehousing and distribution services for a complete range of perishable food products, pharmaceuticals and other items.
And because USCS is so good at its business ... it keeps growing. To better serve an estimated 1,200 customers nationwide, company officials constantly review sites for new locations. They consider major routes, interstate highways, rail service and proximity to customers. That recently led USCS to open two new sites in Wilmington, Ill., and Lebanon, Ind.
USCS also reviews its options inside each facility, including best practices and equipment for cold storage material handling. In both the Wilmington and Lebanon facilities, USCS relies on Raymond® lift trucks, which not only stand up to the cold environments but also move up to 100 million pounds of product per month at these two locations.
Lift trucks are "the lifeblood"
Jim Duffy, USCS' regional chief engineer, says lift trucks are the lifeblood of the distribution process. He worked with Arbor Material Handling, Inc., a Raymond sales and service center, to select the lift trucks for U.S. Cold Storage's new facilities. The combined lift truck fleets total 71 trucks - including Raymond Reach-Fork® trucks, sit-down and stand-up counterbalanced lift trucks, orderpickers, and pallet trucks - all utilized for various applications within the warehouses.
Lift trucks used in cold storage environments must be equipped to operate in severe temperatures, so all USCS narrow aisle lift trucks feature a cold storage conditioning package, which protects the lift trucks' control systems.
In addition, USCS' Reach-Fork lift trucks are equipped with the Raymond ThermaKit™ system to keep operators more comfortable when maneuvering in frigid temperatures -- and even in blast-freezing operations, where the mercury can dip to 40 below zero. The ThermaKit system includes heated control handles and heated floor cushions on the lift trucks to help keep operators' hands and feet warm. Both heaters are thermostatically controlled to shut off when the trucks move into non-freezer, ambient environments.
"Anything we can do to help the operators feel more comfortable in this environment is a bonus," Duffy says. "We know the operators appreciate the heated handles and floor cushions, and the added comfort may make them a little more productive as well."
Technology aids productivity
U.S. Cold Storage takes advantage of narrow aisles and tall racks to maximize its facilities' storage capabilities. Storage heights in the U.S. Cold Storage warehouses can reach up to 40 feet, which can challenge an operator putting a pallet away on the back shelf of a double-deep rack.
In this case, Raymond's Vantage Point® high-level color imaging system -- installed on the company's Reach-Fork trucks -- helps those operators working in the tall racks. The imaging system includes a camera mounted on the forks of the lift truck and a screen mounted in the operator compartment. This system provides additional visual assistance at greater heights, increasing operator accuracy and efficiency when handling pallets.
Duffy says he also appreciates that the lift trucks interface with other warehouse technology systems.
"Lift truck technology has advanced, and the trucks now include provisions for computerized systems and additional connections for equipment such as computers and scanners," Duffy says. "Raymond has demonstrated the versatility to provide these provisions to integrate our warehouse management systems with the lift trucks. This allows us to better manage the facility and inventory, track pallet and case moves, and manage overall productivity."
Service is key
USCS says its Lebanon and Wilmington operations run as many as 16 to 18 hours per day, seven days per week. Reliable, comprehensive service from authorized Raymond Sales and Service centers keeps the lift truck fleets maintained, enabling U.S. Cold Storage employees to focus on material handling -- instead of lift truck maintenance.
Associated Material Handling Inc. and Allied Handling Equipment Co. service U.S. Cold Storage facilities in Lebanon and Wilmington, respectively, through a comprehensive service agreement. Accordingly, service technicians from Associated and Allied are regularly on-site at U.S. Cold Storage to perform scheduled maintenance and address other maintenance requests.
"We have some redundancy of lift trucks built into our fleet because if the lift trucks are down, we are down. We are unable to receive product, move it from docks to storage and then pick product from storage for shipping," Duffy says. "Our experience has been that Raymond lift trucks are very reliable, and reliability and performance are key to our lift truck purchase decisions. These trucks and their accessories are designed to perform in our harsh environments, and that makes all the difference in the world to me and our operations."
Jim Douglas is a quality control and field support technician at The Raymond Corporation, Greene, N.Y.
(800) 235-7200 / www.raymondcorp.com
For more information about Raymond, Click here
Cold Partners in Progress: Stone cold performance
How IMPs help cold storage facilities maximize energy efficiency, thermal performance
Stand-up performance
Order picker features updated technology for enhanced truck performance


Transgression, the Gator Boards team film created by the legendary Sidewayz Productions, was filmed primarily throughout 2006-07 and was released to rave reviews. The entire film is gorgeous, and marked the culmination of Ronn Seidenglanz's unique vision as a wakeboarding filmmaker. One thing made Transgression stand out more than any other though, and that was Randall Harris' epic section. This was Randall's return to the sport after two full years off the water and it left the wakeboarding world speechless. Not only did it highlight Randall's struggle to regain his form on his board, but it perfectly showcased just what Randall's riding was famous for in the first place: riding fast and going huge. Transgression went on to win multiple awards, and fittingly Randall's part won Video Section of the Year at Wake Awards.


Sunset ceremonies are always gorgeous, but when you have a couple that shares their hearts as sweetly and eloquently as these two did, it makes for an even more gorgeous sight! Mathews Manor's Micah's Meadow provided the perfect backdrop for this stunning ceremony. Ice cold waters helped guests cool off from the late summer heat. The delicately placed eucalyptus leaves with a single ribbon attached were delicately bohemian, yet understated. This elevated the ceremony site's romantic vibes. Most noteworthy was a wooden cross at the front of the church, decorated with florals in shades of blush, cream and light purple and florals hung, encased in geometric brass shapes. Tammy Mathews did a fantastic job on all of the florals, especially Natalie's flowing bouquet of roses and greenery!
Micah's Meadow is touted as a "fairytale location" and I completely agree! The way the light shines through the trees is gorgeous, and watching Austin and his groomsmen enter the ceremony from the stone bridge made for the perfect groom entrance! I think everyone would admit that the most show-stopping entrance of the day was definitely stunning Natalie and her sweet Daddy. It looked like something out of a Disney movie– soft pink light from the sunset hitting the air perfectly, showing the summer sparkles in the air.
You could see Natalie's Dad filled with pride and happiness for his girl as he held her arm lightly, guiding her down the aisle. Later, he wrote "She came with me and left with him." Seeing the bittersweet moment of him giving his girl away and hearing his new son-in-law tell him he loved him, we knew that this was the beginning of a beautiful new family.
Each detail perfectly executed a bohemian, romantic style, but the focal point of it was was the gorgeous couple! Austin looked dapper in his navy blue suit from Men's Warehouse, and Natalie's hair and makeup was just perfect, thanks to Hannah Holsomback with Hair by Hannah. Hannah created a gracefully swept and tucked braided updo with a golden leaf hair accessory in lieu of a veil, which was perfect to show off the back of Natalie's intricately patterned bridal gown from Anya Bridal in Atlanta.
Their personal vows made several of us tear up, (yes, I'm admitting that I may have teared up a little!) and seeing Austin's boykin spaniel watching from the front row made it even sweeter! We all loved hearing how these two met and quickly fell in love. Natalie is a registered nurse and has a huge heart for her patients. Austin admitted that is what made him fall for her even faster. These two adventurous, God-loving people, have such a love that is only outmatched by their love for others. It was an honor to be able to film their ceremony and these amazing vows for them.
Having your wedding & want us to capture all the memories? Let's Chat!!


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F5 Networks (FFIV) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
Zacks October 24, 2019
F5 Networks Inc. FFIV reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2019 GAAP earnings per share of $2.59, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.55 but decreasing 10.7% year over year.
The NGINX acquisition-related expenses affected the bottom line.
F5 Networks revenues rose 5% year over year to $590.4 million, and also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $583 million. Notably, customer demand for consistent application security and reliable application performance across multi-cloud environments contributed to revenue growth. Moreover, the acquisition of NGINX contributed a little more than $8 million to revenues.
F5 Networks, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
F5 Networks, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | F5 Networks, Inc. Quote
Quarterly Details
Products revenues (45% of total revenues) during the quarter totaled $265 million, up 3% year over year, driven by Software.
Software soared 91% year over year and represented 31% of product revenues. This upside can be attributed to the growing adoption of the Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) and annual subscriptions among customers.
Software growth is consistently aided by security use cases, which include web application firewall, bot-defense and mitigation.
During the quarter, F5 Networks secured an all-software use case with Rakuten for Gi firewall.
Systems revenues, representing 69% of product revenues, declined 15% on a year-over-year basis due to continued transition of customers to software-based solutions.
Services revenues (55%) increased 6% to $325 million.
Region wise, on a year-over-year basis, revenues from the Americas — reflecting 59% of the total count — grew 11%. APAC revenues fell 2% and represented 18% of the total top line. EMEA was fell 3% and accounted for 23% of total revenues.
Going by the verticals, Enterprise, Service providers and Government (including 13% from the U.S. Federal) depicted 61%, 17% and 22% of the total product bookings, respectively.
The company's distributor Ingram Micro translated to 18% of the company's revenues. Tech Data TECD and Carahsoft contributed 10% each to the total revenue base.
F5 Networks is focusing on incorporating more automation and orchestration on its platforms to enable quicker application provisioning.
Moreover, the company is enabling application services consumption in native container environment with NGINX. During the quarter, the company secured a F5-NGINX deal with a financial tech company in the EMEA region.
Non-GAAP gross margin expanded 160 basis points (bps) year over year to 86.3% during the quarter.
Non-GAAP operating margin contracted 540 bps to 32.6%. This was primarily due to higher non-GAAP operating expenses as a result of higher sales commissions on software sales.
Moreover, the NGINX acquisition-related cost of $8.1 million was also an overhang on margins.
Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
F5 Networks exited the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of approximately $972.3 million compared with $986.5 million in the prior quarter.
Long-term liabilities were $523.3 million compared with $481 million in the previous quarter.
The company reported cash flow of $206 million from operations.
Full-Year Fiscal 2019 Highlights
During full-year fiscal 2019, F5 Networks generated $2.24 billion in revenues, up 4% year over year.
Non-GAAP earnings of $10.36 were higher than $9.87 in fiscal 2018.
Acquisition-related costs of $41.7 million from the NGINX buyout were incurred during the year.
Management remains optimistic that increasing demand for the multi-cloud application services will be a key driver. Rising traction of subscription and ELA offerings is a tailwind.
For first-quarter fiscal 2020, F5 Networks expects revenues in the range of $560-$570 million (mid-point $565 million). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $566.9 million.
The company anticipates non-GAAP earnings per share in the band of $2.41-$2.44. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.46.
The company expects to incur operating expenses of $296-$308 million.
F5 Networks also expects operating margins to contract in the first and second quarters of fiscal 2020, expanding thereafter, based on seasonal pattern.
Moreover, F5 Networks and NGINX's first combined solution is expected to increase the total addressable market and deal sizes by spending more use cases across DevOps and Super-NetOps customer profiles. This solution is likely to release toward the end of January 2020.
The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are Splunk Inc. SPLK and Benefitfocus, Inc. BNFT, each flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Long-term earnings growth rate for Splunk and Benefitfocus is currently pegged at 31.24% and 20%, respectively.
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