41.   Meanwhile, word of the strike had already reached some customers Friday.

42.   Minneapolis-based ReliaStar said the purchase would help it reach more customers.

43.   More and more small businesses are climbing onto the Internet, which is becoming a great way to reach potential customers.

44.   New licensing programs, in particular, were being touted as ways to reach customers more directly.

45.   No company can use one route to reach all customers, Mauldin said.

46.   Of the three new services, Tele-Communications expects its digital television to reach more customers more quickly than At Home or telephony, the company said.

47.   Reaching potential customers via e-mail is increasingly more popular than buying ads on portals such as Yahoo.

48.   So marketers at the NFL and companies such as Reebok International Ltd. have latched on to golf-inspired casual wear as a way to reach new customers.

49.   Still, a growing number of companies are trying to reach new customers.

50.   Such services could help the industry return to profitability, achieve high profit margins, and reach customers willing to pay for additional services in the form of software.