Report Card: George Gilbert

Biography

A.B.,

Harvard University

. A product manager on the WindowsNT server team at

Microsoft

and a developer on Lotus Notes at

Lotus

, Gilbert joined

Credit Suisse First Boston

from

Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown

in July 1998 to cover the enterprise applications industry.

Industry Outlook and Style

Gilbert's outlook for the application software sector is bullish. He points out that the initial boom in Web site software, which benefited such Web site builders as

BroadVision

(BVSN) - Get Report

, is evolving. Companies with established Web sites now seek to improve them.

The beneficiaries of this trend include companies that produce customer-relationship management software, which helps businesses attract and keep customers. They also include makers of supply-chain management software, which allows manufacturers to direct the flow of goods effectively. Gilbert believes that companies are willing to spend for these solutions partly because they can easily quantify their savings.

Gilbert expects

Siebel Systems

(SEBL)

, a leading provider of sales automation and customer service software, to profit from this big push by businesses to please their customers. He is also a fan of

Kana Communications

(KANA)

, whose software helps companies manage customer email. But Gilbert is most optimistic about

E.piphany

(EPNY)

, a developer of software that gives companies insights into customers' habits and interests. (CSFB has an investment-banking relationship with E.piphany.)

On the SCM front, Gilbert likes

i2 Technologies

(ITWO)

. A leader in the field, i2 has software that helps companies plan and schedule production. Database software maker

Oracle

(ORCL) - Get Report

is another Gilbert bet. And he speaks favorably about

Ariba

(ARBA)

, whose procurement software is used to track and manage supply purchases over the Internet, and about

Commerce One

(CMRC)

, which makes software that connects buyers with suppliers over the Internet. (CSFB has investment-banking relationships with both i2 and Commerce One.)

Institutional investors who selected Gilbert as their favorite application software analyst in

TheStreet.com's

Analyst Rankings are as enthusiastic about him as he is about his industry. They describe Gilbert as a hard worker and a prolific writer. "He thinks hard," sums up a fan, "and he's a nice guy, too."

Stock Pick

Favorite stock for next 12 months:
E.piphany

Comment:
"E.piphany has an intense focus on understanding customer behavior across all channels of contact with a firm. E.piphany's the best application to collect and analyze that type of information and act on it."

Rate Their Stock Picks:

Which stock do you like best?

Phillips*: Ariba

Gilbert: E.piphany

Sherlund: Amdocs Ltd.

* Gilbert and Sherlund each gave us their top stock pick. Phillips gave us a list of four picks, from which we chose Ariba.