Toyota to name Indian vehicle Qualis
Mumbai: Toyota has decided to name its multi-purpose vehicle for India 'Qualis'. The vehicle will be on display at the auto show in New Delhi in January 2000. The vehicle, to be produced by Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the Japanese company's joint venture in India, is a two-wheel drive, 2.4-litre engine multi-purpose vehicle with independent front suspension. It will have an output of 74 bhp and come only with a petrol option. There will be three variants of the vehicle.

Company sources said the vehicle will be priced competitively around Rs 4.5 lakh, with a deluxe version at Rs 5.32 lakh. Qualis is an eight-seater vehicle meant for India. Prototypes of the vehicle are now under testing, and the company intends to display some models at its dealers’ showrooms by mid-December.
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AT&T to appeal in net access case
Seattle: AT&T is appealing against a federal ruling that could force it to open its Portland, Oregon, area network to rival Internet service providers, which the company feels will defeat the purpose of its $100-billion effort to change itself as a cable company. Among the investments it is making is the pending $58-billion acquisition of MediaOne Group.

Portland and the surrounding Multnomah County changed their laws in December 1998, requiring AT&T to open its high-speed lines to any Internet service provider on a non-discriminatory basis as a condition for getting rights to the cable television franchise in the region. AT&T markets high-speed cable access exclusively through its partly-owned partner ExciteAtHome Corporation. It has refused the condition, and Portland has refused to ratify AT&T’s $48 billion acquisition of TeleCommunications, the nation’s No 2 cable company.
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Levi's to move away from the web
San Francisco: Levi Strauss has decided to give up its thrust on e-commerce and instead focus on selling its products through traditional 'brick-and-mortar' stores.

The privately-held 146-year-old company, famous for its blue jeans, feels the decision is key to its working more closely with its retail customers to ensure that it is meeting their needs. The decision has, however, caused resentment among the company’s retailers who market the products. Levi will move its sales from its own websites to retail set-ups run by Macy’s, a part of Federated Department Stores, and JC Penney.
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Sprint shareholders to block merger with MCI
Washington: Sprint Corporation’s shareholders have filed seven purported class action law suits against the company to block its proposed merger with MCI WorldCom. The Securities and Exchange Commission said the shareholders claimed that Sprint directors have breached their fiduciary duties and certain other duties to the company’s shareholders by entering into an agreement with MCI WorldCom.
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