21.   He applauded its evolution from a provider of firewalls to a leading provider of virtual private networks, which are temporary but secure connections over the Internet.

22.   In recent years, Raytheon has used its expertise to become a leading provider of air-traffic control and marine traffic systems.

23.   In recent years, Raytheon has used its expertise in electronics to become a leading provider of air-traffic control systems and commercial fish-finders.

24.   In Texas Instruments, Raytheon is buying the leading provider of yet other electronic systems.

25.   It has built up a huge Web presence, becoming the leading provider of weather content on the Internet.

26.   It is also a leading provider of military equipment to Chile, especially ships for the navy.

27.   It is the leading cellular provider for Nebraska, including Omaha, analysts said.

28.   Its founder Jim Bidzos yesterday announced another company called VeriSign Inc., which he says will be the leading provider of Digital ID products.

29.   McAfee is the leading provider of anti-virus software, while Cheyenne makes software for data storage management, including a flagship line of network backup products.

30.   Menlo Park-based Intuit is a leading provider of financial software for personal computers.