Lessons From Emulex

The false news release that targeted Emulex Corp. Aug. 25 is a shocking reminder of how easy it is for erroneous information to be distributed rapidly throughout the world via the Internet.

Emulex appreciates the Los Angeles Times’ coverage of the hoax and hopes this incident will further encourage both investors and media organizations to verify sources and do their due diligence.

Although the attack was sharp and personal, our employees and multiple Wall Street analysts know that Emulex is financially conservative and careful to appropriately distribute important information about the state of our business in a timely and accurate fashion.

The mechanisms used to distribute this hoax should have raised an immediate warning flag to any recipient, including the news media. That this hoax was, for a brief period, believed by some is an indication that further education is needed, and Emulex plans to remain active in this cause.

Your story “No Quick Fix Seen for Eliminating False News Releases, Security Experts Say” [Aug. 26] provided valuable visibility to this problem and served to educate readers on the importance of validating information about public companies.

However, “Emulex Hoax Just the Latest Event in a Seesaw Year of Highs and Lows” [Aug. 26] unfortunately missed an important opportunity to educate the reader on the health of the fiber channel market and Emulex’s business.

Most analysts agree that fiber channel technology is uniquely positioned as the enabling technology for the fast-growing storage networking sector. Emulex is well-positioned to expand into new market segments as they emerge.

PAUL FOLINO

President and chief executive

Emulex Corp.