Contactless payment technology: at service stations in France and Germany

Fuel retailer Orlen has begun rolling out contactless payment terminals at its service stations in Germany, while in France, Carrefour has announced that it will be deploying readers throughout its entire network. Contactless payments offer benefits such as reduced transaction times and higher convenience, which should give these players a significant competitive edge in the long term.

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Corporate banking: web delivery spend growing faster in France than UK

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Wanadoo: France fine, Freeserve feeble

Wanadoo's improved revenue figures can be largely attributed to a growing interest in broadband Internet access and increased sales of online advertising. However, Wanadoo's UK business Freeserve looks less healthy. It has just 68,000 broadband subscribers - far less than its rival BTOpenWorld.

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IBM Global Services: billion dollar deals

IBM GS is to provide server, mainframe and storage systems and services to French insurance company AXA. France has proved a tricky market for foreign services providers, due partly to the strength of unions. This latest deal may prompt further French interest as it is structured to allow some of the jobs to stay in French hands.<BR />

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Alcatel: the survival of ten thousand cuts

The telecoms equipment market has declined even further than expected, driving Alcatel to cut 10,000 more jobs. Alcatel believes this restructuring will take it to breakeven... but it also said that for the last one. If the market continues its decline, Alcatel may not make money until 2004. On the plus side for investors, talk of a liquidity crisis looks unjustified.

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Canal+: competition versus the 'cultural exception'

Vivendi's financial troubles are no secret, putting a sale of pay-TV group Canal+ on the cards. But although Canal+ has a leading position in French pay-TV, most potential bidders would be up against serious opposition. A bid from a local player would raise competition issues - but the cultural outrage if a foreigner took control could be greater still.

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eBanking: iTV beginning to spread across Europe

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Alcatel: cutting costs, not jobs - maybe

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Alcatel/Lucent: too much to swallow

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