There were others, but this gives the main idea. It was a crazy year for Novell.

Number 2 - Internet explosion in Utah.

Dozens of "Internet Service Providers" have sprouted up throughout Utah in 1996, although many of them do not deserve the adjective "service" in their name.

Scores of Internet companies have emerged that are making a good to a great business in creatingsoftware products that work with or on the Internet. While scores of other entities are making money hosting the commercial Web sites of other firms on the Net.

And whether on their own or hosted by another firm, thousands of Utah entities now have a presence on the Internet.

And e-mail addresses (such as dpolitis@politis.com) are now appearing on virtually everyone's business card.

Number 1 - Micron plant shuttered.

Micron officials professed to be surprised by the rapid decline in prices for memory chips, claiming that it caught them off guard.

But instead of employing close to 1,000 Utahns by the end of 1996, Micron's Lehi wafer fabrication plant lies empty.

Devoid of all but a skeleton crew, the Lehi facility stands silent against Traverse Ridge, a not-too-subtle reminder of the cyclical nature of the semiconductor business.

Given the financial impact upon the state's economy (both realized and promissory), Micron's decision to halt construction on its Lehi plant stands as Utah's number one technology story for 1996.

A marketing communications consultant specializing in high-tech and life sciences clients, David Politis welcomes column ideas at 801-523-3730 or via the Internet at dpolitis@politis.com.