Winners were selected through a comprehensive evaluation conducted by the San Francisco-based Great Places to Work Institute.

Two-thirds of the scoring for each company was based on direct employee input gathered via random sample surveys.

The balance of each companys score came from the Institutes assessment of its human resources programs and practices.

Nokia employs more than 7500 in manufacturing sales research and development and support functions in Texas California Massachusetts and Florida.

An additional eight stores will roll out across the country over the next three months.

Dealers have been selected from the original co-branded store programme based on sales performance and their existing relationship with Ericsson.

The 10 stores will test a variety of in-store fixtures to gauge their effect on trade and footfall. The pilot phase runs for the next three months. A national roll-out could follow towards the end of the year.

The Global Store pilot scheme involves an area of the store designed as a tranquil bespoke environment carrying Ericsson phones accessories and data products.

The area has been designed to direct consumers through the purchasing process with easy access to handsets comparable information and special promotions.

Ericsson says it believes the new merchandising system will increase sales by improving the overall customer store experience and focusing consumer attention in a self-contained product area.

Ericsson has set a new benchmark in customer service in in-store experience with the Global Store programme said Ericsson channel marketing manager Vijay Anand.

The CallFree radios will retail at 99.99 for two handsets including rechargeable batteries. They have a range of up to two miles.

It is an up-to-date modern communication system with two handsets operating on a dedicated frequency. There are no call charges said Ross business development manager Steven May.

Ross is donated 1 for every CallFree set sold to the national helpline for children in trouble or danger ChildLine.

This brings to 16 the number of Vodafone Retail outlets in Scotland.

Their opening follows Vodafones take-over of Scottish Telecommunications and the creation of a new company Vodafone (Scotland).

Vodafone says it now has one or more stores in all the main towns in Scotland.

To celebrate the store openings the first 20 customers were given 15 a music voucher.

Pay As You Go customers get 10 per cent extra airtime for any call time credited up to January 31.

In another development One 2 One is to spend 100 million building a network in Northern Ireland to be in place by the middle of the year.

The network has signed an agreement with infrastructure builder Crown Castle to handle cell planning acquisition design build operation and maintenance for the whole network.

The agreement is for 11 years.

Crown Castle already operates 100 sites in Northern Ireland which will provide the backbone for the new network and reduce the need for building new sites

This ground-breaking agreement is another example of our innovative approach to network rollout. By using Crown Castles expertise we will have a high quality network in place within a year said One 2 Ones managing director Tim Samples.

Other co-sponsors are The Times. and Citibank Private Bank.

The awards have been in the USA and several European countries for many years and came to the UK for the first time last year when it was won by Mark Dixon founder of the Regus business centre empire which was set up 10 years ago.

They are open to owner-managers whose business have been established for at least two years.

The entrepreneurial spirit shown in these awards clearly matches Vodafones can-do attitude. There is a good cultural fit between the Awards and Vodafone and we look forward to finding the best entrepreneurs in the UK said Vodafones commercial and marketing director Paul Donovan.

Orange will use the software to produce credit and fraud score-cards to identify customers who may not pay their bill. The system looks at sets of known variables and identifies the relationship between the variables to predict possible outcomes.

It is also used by banks mortgage lenders credit card companies retailers and other credit providers.

Decider will enable us to develop credit and fraud scorecards cost-effectively and quickly. These could help our business run more efficiently said Orange credit risk manager Phil Watson.

Neural Technologies CEO Nick Ryman-Tubb said:

Our technology can help companies unlock the potential of the information they hold on customers.

The month long campaign will run across prime sites to include both underground and ad shells. The six-sheet illuminated advertisement has been designed to draw attention to the handsets blue display. The campaign is also being supported with press advertising across in-flight consumer style and magazines

Our existing investors have stepped forward to provide for ongoing operations while we continue to have discussions with potential new investors CEO John Richardson said.

Discussions with a number of parties have been held since Iridium filed on August 13 1999 for relief under Chapter 11. However no investment offers have been made.

The company is in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganisation during which time 50000 customers have purchased Iridium phones.

The loyalty of our customers despite the financial challenges we face and the interest Iridium continues to attract from new customers is encouraging.

Sales will be supported with Iridiums best efforts to provide a contingency communications alternative said vice president for sales and distribution Sue Kennedy.

Motorola has started shipping a smaller Satellite Series 9505 portable phone.

Iridium also announced that senior vice president of engineering systems Randall Brouckman has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer.

BtCellnet says it wants to bring the supply of all accessories under a single managed contract comprising of original equipment handset manufacturers third party manufacturers and Ora-made accessories.

Under the terms of the contract Ora will provide a call centre and fulfilment services. packaging design warehousing and logistics as well as product training for BtCellnet call centre staff.

We appreciate the opportunity to be much more than simply an accessories clearance house and welcome the full supply partnership that BtCellnet expects said Ora managing director Ken Edmonds.

BtCellnet hardware supply manager Richard Watson commented:

We are looking to develop a long-term partnership with Ora to help us with our various customer acquisition and retention programmes. We expect Ora to provide the right accessories and the right time and the right price. There are also a number of new revenue streams that we intend to investigate and develop together.

We look forward to a long-lasting and mutually-rewarding partnership.

Ora recently moved to a new 60000 sq.ft head office a short distance from its old 30000 sq.ft site in Aylesbury.