THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601110370
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
A day after Motorola Inc. reported disappointing fourth-quarter earnings, the technology company said Wednesday its cellular phone and semiconductor businesses are likely to struggle through the first half of 1996. ``We're in a (celullar phone) market that is shifting from business users who are not particularly price-sensitive to consumers who are very price-sensitive,'' said Morgan Stanley analyst Robert Maire. Motorola said it expects weaker results from its semiconductor chip business, in part because of the costs of building multimillion-dollar plants, including one near Richmond, to meet the burgeoning market. Although tech stocks fell Wednesday, bargain hunters pushed Motorola up 4 1/4 Wednesday to close at 49.87 1/2. Motorola shares fell 19 percent Tuesday. (AP) First Union selects MCI for customer line, network
First Union Corp. has selected MCI to provide toll-free customer telephone service for its 11 million customers and a network to link the bank's 2,000 bank branches. MCI will provide the Charlotte-based bank with MCI Vnet (virtual network) service. The service will link the bank's branches and MCI 800 Service, allowing bank customers to have toll-free access to information on their accounts.
First Union said the recent merger with First Fidelity Bancorp. compelled First Union to upgrade its telecommunications systems. by CNB