The BBC lost the second B in its name yesterday when it sold its transmitter network to a private company for pounds 244m and will no longer broadcast the programmes it makes.

Sema Group, the Anglo-French computer services group, said yesterday that 1997 would be a year of consolidation after three acquisitions last year. Sema said that of the new purchases, British Rail Business Systems was performing well while Telis, the fixed telephony group should break even in 1997 and move into profit in 1998. Syntax, the former facilities management arm of Olivetti, is being integrated and made a significant contribution to the 1996 results.

The Orange network is to offer a mobile phone that can be used in more than 50 countries by the end of this year, from Lithuania and Slovenia to New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

The French government has decided to invite bids for its pounds 1.3bn controlling interest in Thomson-CSF, the defence wing of the electronics giant Thomson SA.

Cable & Wireless yesterday agreed to dissolve its German partnership with Veba, fuelling speculation that it will seek an alliance with Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.

The pounds 230m transmission business of the BBC last night looked set to pass into foreign hands, with the announcement that a US-French consortium, which includes a subsidiary of state-owned France Telecom, had been selected as the Corporation's preferred bidder.

Last week, the British Computer Society honoured Britain's best information technology projects at an awards ceremony at the Cafe Royal, London. Presenting 11 top project teams with medals and certificates, Chris Earnshaw, managing director of BT Systems & Networks, described them as the "Oscars of the software industry".

Countdown to money union: Brussels gives encouragement on budgeting but forerunner of the central banks is sceptical

A Commons select committee yesterday gave new ammunition to the Eurosceptics when it warned that, if Britain joined a single currency, taxpayers could be called on to help finance the pensions of other EU members.

France Telecom, the French phone giant, last night emerged as one of four serious bidders for BBC Transmission, the arm of the public service broadcaster that is to be privatised by the end of the year.

The mobile boom is slowing - with dramatic effects for one of last year's wonder stocks

British fight alone to halt single currency. Sarah Helm in Dublin reports

French travails: Maastricht rules and tax cuts dominate finances, while the ruling coalition frets over its electoral prospects

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