21.   And building owners are capitalizing on the fierce competition.

22.   And fierce competition for the lower-margin, midpriced market, particularly from multifunction devices that double as printers and copiers, has kept Xerox from raising prices.

23.   Analysts said the deal, which could put pressure on other utilities to seek partners, showed how quickly the industry was preparing for an era of fierce competition.

24.   Analysts have said they expect Kmart Corp. and other regional discounters to suffer because fierce competition has forced the chains to sell lots of merchandise at deep discounts.

25.   And its net loss widened in the fourth quarter amid fierce competition in Atlantic City, where the company operates three casinos.

26.   And shrinking profits, rising fuel prices and fierce competition have airlines working to offer something new.

27.   And not surprisingly, in the fierce competition for jobs in that sector, individuals who are young, black and non-college-educated fare the worst.

28.   And there has been fierce competition among the three cellular-telephone operators that have been in service here for about a year.

29.   Another potential cloud on the horizon is overcapacity among electric utilities, a situation that could lead to fierce competition when markets are opened to outside providers.

30.   Another result is that universities are in fierce competition with one another for faculty who can bring in the grants.