31.   Fewer competitors means less pressure on individual players to differentiate their products through innovation.

32.   Firstar Corp. said it will offer capital markets products through an alliance with Everen Securities Inc., an agreement involving no payment by either party.

33.   Fonix Corp. is two or three years away from marketing speech-recognition products through its new alliance with Siemens Semiconductor Group, said a senior Siemens executive.

34.   For example, Zoom Telephonics Inc. of Mansfield, Mass. said recently it lowered its tax rate by selling more products through its foreign sales corporation.

35.   Ford Credit, which already offers its own insurance products through dealers, said it sees the IHA system as a way to offer customers a broader choice.

36.   Guess sells its products through leading department stores, as well as its own shops and factory outlets.

37.   Having sold its products mostly through retailers, Sony had scant experience with selling directly to consumers.

38.   He added that Royale Belge, which is controlled by AXA-UAP, sells products through BBL.

39.   He noted that, while the two companies do not share customers, they sold their products through independent distributors and dealers.

40.   Hello Direct, based in San Jose, California, sells phone, fax and office products through a catalog.