21.   Japanese companies are betting that mobile phones, rather than computers, will connect people here to E-commerce on the Internet.

22.   Nearly two years after the first online city guides appeared, many companies are still betting that the real action on the Internet is in such local online markets.

23.   Most uncharacteristically, the company bet heavily on Priceline.com, the discount Internet ticket-seller.

24.   Movie companies bet that people on vacation will have more time for moviegoing.

25.   Other companies are betting that they can more quickly turn the promise of personalized medicine into reality by studying the differences in how people metabolize drugs.

26.   Other cybersecurity companies are betting on service after the steal.

27.   Other cyber-security companies are betting on service after the steal.

28.   The big companies are betting on the ever-increasing exposure of Americans to Mexican restaurants, and the popularity of quick and inexpensive meals.

29.   The companies are betting that demand will continued to be fueled by poor infrastructure for fixed-line service and a dearth of lines.

30.   The company bet that combining would enable them to slash costs and increase sales using a larger distribution network in the U.S., Europe and Japan.