You've got to be very careful when pushing into new markets or launching new opera- tions. If the marketing team makes promises that the engineers can't keep, it can be a dan- through virtual neering, for that put themselves on the auc- In another recent deal, R.W. gerous and unprof- prototyping. i n s t a n c e , uses a tion block often have financial B e c k Inc. of Seattle acquired itable venture. Other firms PAUL M. LURIE, s o f t w a r e plat- challenges or management prob- A u s t i n , Texas