Sacramento To Denver Instantly

From now on, transmitting between Sacramento and Denver will be a lot faster, if you're using Qwest Communications' network. The company says it has activated a 1,277-mile section of its ultra-high-capacity fiber optic telecommunications network between those two cities. The system connecting Denver to California utilizes a cable that contains Qwest's 48 optical fibers. Each pair of fibers can carry telephone calls, video signals, computer data or Internet traffic at 80 billion bits (gigabits) per second.

Bell South Plans New Unit

BellSouth reportedly plans to set up a new unit to sell telecom and entertainment services in an attempt to bypass some regulations that hinder it while pursuing customers outside its traditional Southeastern markets. In its electronic edition today, the Wall Street Journal said that Richard Anderson, the company's vice president of marketing, plans to ask regulators for permission to operate the unit as a "competitive local" phone company throughout its nine-state territory. The Journal said the unit would be closely linked to its parent company.

Watch Doubles As SmartCard

It's a little like James Bond -- a watch that not only gives you the correct time but lets you pay your bills electronically. Card Technologies Australia says its CiT smart card technology will be used in the Swatch Access watch, giving the watch payment access via a computer chip, radio transmitter and antenna. The new watch is being testmarketed in Sidney.

Wireless Firms Form Data Alliance

Wireless phone companies that pushed for the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard now want to make sure the system becomes the standard for wireless data transmission too. Seven U.S. and Canadian GSM-based personal communications services (PCS) providers have formed an alliance for that purpose. Intel, the microprocessor company, said it lent its support to the alliance in a bid to boost wireless data market growth.

Navigation Chip Sales to Grow

Sales of computer chips for in-car navigation systems will jump seven-fold to $1.7 billion by 2001, as the tracking systems become standard equipment in cars, market researcher Dataquest said Monday. The navigation systems, which use signals from global positioning satellites to pinpoint a car's location, will grow to 11.3 million units by 2001 from 1.1 million in 1996, the Dataquest study said. The biggest region for GPS navigation semiconductors is Japan, with a market that is expected to be $318 million in 1997. Europe is a distant second with $41 million in sales, and the United States is third with $4 million.

All Eyes On Apple

Its been a long time since Apple Computer has ridden a wave like this. With speculation increasing about enhanced roles in the company for co-founder Steven Jobs and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, Wall Street has pushed stock in the troubled company higher. Things should come to a head Wednesday. That's when Jobs, who is serving as a full-time adviser while Apple looks for a new chairman and chief executive, will deliver the keynote speech at the Macworld trade show in Boston.

Net Deal Links MCI, Progressive

MCI and Progressive Networks are moving toward closer cooperation in delivering audio and video over the Internet. According to Variety, the two companies are targeting their new RealNetwork" service at broadcasters, cablers and others who want to use the Internet to expand their reach. The new service will have the ability to handle 50,000 individual users at one time, according to Progressive executives. The deal will allow Progressive to ride MCI's fiber-optic network to deliver video and audio via the Internet.

Microsoft Keeps Growing

Microsoft, which just got Justice Department approval to acquire WebTV, is making another acquisition. The company is reportedly picking up an Internet startup called VXtreme. Officials of the two companies confirmed that VXtreme would be part of a Microsoft announcement but declined to comment on industry reports of an imminent purchase that have circulated on the Internet and in trade newspapers. VXtreme, which employs about 90 people from its base in Sunnyvale, Calif., makes "streaming" software.

Sun, NCR Announce Cooperation

Sun Microsystems. and NCR have announced agreement to make the next generation of Sun's Solaris operating system standard equipment on NCR's most powerful computers. The deal will make NCR's WorldMark 4300 server model a reference platform for Sun's new Solaris system. That will help Sun optimize its version of Unix on Intel's next-generation microprocessors, code named Merced, due out in 1999. The new processors will be based on a more powerful architecture which can process 64 bits of data at a time, double Intel's existing 32-bit processors.

Oracle Buys Treasury Services

Oracle has announced definitive agreement to buy Treasury Services, which provides profitability and risk analysis for large financial institutions. Oracle will pay up to $120 million cash for the firm. Treasury Services's primary product, the Treasury Services Evaluation and Reporting System, has software for asset/liability management; funds transfer pricing and performance reporting; budgeting and forecasting; acquisition valuation and analysis; interest rate risk management; target marketing and campaign management; strategic market analysis, customer relationship management; and customer profitability analysis.

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