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To: lindelgs who wrote (6345)	3/7/2000 9:17:00 PM
From: lindelgs	Respond to of 35685

Qualcomm Could Spin Off One or More Units, President Says San Diego, March 7 (Bloomberg) -- Qualcomm Inc., which developed the digital cell-phone technology now used by more than 50 million people, could spin off one or more of its businesses, President Richard Sulpizio said. He declined to be more specific, though he noted that Qualcomm's OmniTracs business, which tracks fleets for trucking companies, and Eudora e-mail software unit operate separately from the company's cell-phone chip and technology-licensing units. ``It's always an option,' Sulpizio said in an interview after the company's annual shareholder meeting at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego. He said Qualcomm has no plans to sell any divisions, though the company is examining ways to boost its flagship code division multiple access technology business and increase profit through options including acquisitions, alliances and spinoffs. ``We think the (divisions) we have today are core to our future,' he said. At the meeting, Qualcomm Chief Financial Officer Anthony Thornley disclosed that Japan's Kyocera Corp. paid $235 million in cash for Qualcomm's phone-making business last month. Qualcomm previously declined to say what Kyocera paid for the money-losing unit, which had revenue of about $1.4 billion in the fiscal year ended last September. Shares of San Diego-based Qualcomm fell 5 1/4 to 128. China Contract Chief Executive Irwin Jacobs said he's optimistic that use of the company's wireless technology will expand in China this year, even though reports have said political issues have delayed work on a major contract. There's ``no question' Chinese companies will adopt Qualcomm's CDMA technology in the long term, Jacobs said in an interview. The company formed an agreement last month with China Unicom, the country's No. 2 telecommunications company. Analysts have said Qualcomm may be a victim of waning political support in the U.S. for China's bid to join the World Trade Organization, even as pressure mounts for China and the European Union to reach their own WTO pact. Qualcomm executives said they still haven't received any official word that anything in the agreement with China Unicom has changed. ``We've got people over there trying to understand what is happening,' Jacobs said. ``There have to be some answers over the next two weeks.' Jacobs received a standing ovation from about 1,200 attendees when he walked onstage this morning. Qualcomm's share price rose 27-fold last year, making it the best performing stock in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The shares have fallen 27 percent in 2000. Mar/07/2000 17:46 For more stories from Bloomberg News, click here. (C) Copyright 2000 Bloomberg L.P. Any redistribution of Bloomberg content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Bloomberg L.P. Any reference to the material must be properly attributed to Bloomberg News. The information herein was obtained from sources which Bloomberg L.P. and its suppliers believe reliable, but they do not guarantee its accuracy. Neither the information, nor any opinion expressed, constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any securities or commodities.(C) Copyright 2000 Bloomberg L.P. BLOOMBERG, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Financial Markets, Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg News Radio are trademarks, tradenames and service marks of Bloomberg L.P.