November 29, 2006
On behalf of FARO Technologies, I oppose the suggested service bundle and forced use of any distribution service not chosen by my company or its other officers. With all due respect and in all candor, I find it disappointing that this note is even necessary. SR-NASDAQ-2006-040 is something Id expect to be mandated by the Chinese government, not in our free-market economy.
I am greatly comforted by the response of my colleagues on this post. The outcry from the business community is unanimously and obviously opposed to the centralized approach. If PrimeZones services and technology are superior, let them earn our business the way all Nasdaq- and NYSE-listed companies must: through reputation and communication. That it takes this kind of national input to turn the tide of such an irrational, but perhaps well-intended, suggestion reflects poorly on the Nasdaq leaderships ability to act in the best interest of its members.
We trust the SEC will rectify this oversight.