5:40 PM -- Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) executives appear to have gone into buzzword overdrive on the company's Q4 2005 conference call. There's all sorts of talk about "traffic processing," the dreaded "lumpiness," scary "softness," and of course many "magic quadrants."

"Every time you click, we add value," said Juniper CEO Kriens.

I have no idea what that means, but it kind of gives me the willies.

Things may be "lumpy by application," says Juniper CFO Robert Dykes. That sounds painful.

More importantly to investors, Kriens said there's been some "softness in Japan." Ah, no sushi for you, Mr. Kriens.

Finally, the revenue guidance was down for the next quarter. Ouch. So is the stock. In after-hours it's been down as much as 8%. Executives blamed "softness in Asia."

Our news coverage of the conference call will be coming shortly. — R. Scott Raynovich, Editor in Chief, Light Reading