Article Abstract:
The fact that a political coup occurred on the eve of the signing of a major cellular telephone system contract between U S West Communications Inc and the Soviet Union shows the importance of understanding a country's power structure when conducting international business. The U S West contract to install and operate three international gateway switches in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev is going forward despite the Aug 1991 coup because U S West how to negotiate as the Soviets do. Negotiating involves working with top and middle managers, several ministries and officials in the republics to build trust. The involvement of top U S West officers and a core group of negotiators was key to demonstrating the company's commitment to Soviet projects. The three switches, which enable the Soviet Union to add 23,000 international circuits, are an $18 million investment over two years to U S West, but the company will receive 16 percent of revenues from calls funneled through the new switches for a 15-year period.
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Article Abstract:
US West NewVector plans to use Motorola's hybrid digital and analog narrow-band Advanced Mobile Phone Service to enhance its operations. Company officials say the Motorola equipment will be an interim step to a full digital technology that will be designed to provide additional calling capacity. The change to the interim equipment will begin in the fall of 1992. The new technology triples cellular capacity, improves the quality of analog voice transmission and offers digital signaling. US West and Motorola say they have formed a 10-year alliance, though financial terms were not disclosed. The upgraded system will let customers use their cellular phones like pagers, letting them know when new voice mail is received or facilitating the transmission of a short text message or a call-back number.
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Article Abstract:
High-definition television (HDTV) equipment and programs should arrive sooner than expected, thanks to an agreement by the backers of four rival systems to meld their technologies and split the royalties. The Federal Communications Commission's special advisory committee is expected to approve the unified HDTV proposal. Two of the systems were developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and General Instrument Corp; one was developed by a group that includes Compression Labs Inc, NBC and the US affiliates of Thomson SA and Philips Electronics NV; and one was developed by AT and T and Zenith Electronics Inc. The first HDTV sets are expected to cost at least $1,000 more than present sets, but as volume sales increase prices are expected to go down.
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