1.   A continent away in SoHo, dancers in a converted loft waited while technicians at Polycom, the video equipment vendor, helped solve the glitches in Los Angeles.

2.   All of this is terrible news for equipment vendors.

3.   But as the agency has brought in new equipment, it has often signed maintenance contracts with the equipment vendors.

4.   Cuccio said the company is negotiating with several other equipment vendors which could provide the company with additional financing.

5.   Equipe, a one-year-old telecommunications equipment vendor, makes optical network devices that allow information to travel quickly along fiber optic lines.

6.   Equipment vendors have reason for some optimism.

7.   It did not identify the shortage with any particular equipment vendor.

8.   Others fear hackers or even programmers employed by the equipment vendor or in government could somehow manipulate the results.

9.   Semi equipment vendors sell the multimillion-dollar machines that run chip assembly lines.

10.   TCI last week told equipment vendors to hold off on shipments.