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Region, state home sales take a body shot
Existing home sales tumbled 45 percent in the Tampa Bay area in July and condo sales were worse. The slump is also giving some building suppliers heartburn.
HCC gets worker training center
Hillsborough Community College has opened one of four "banner centers" in Florida to train people for work in key state industries. The center at HCC's Brandon campus is focusing on the manufacturing sector. It will develop new curricula for community college and technical school students and for companies updating their employees' skills. HCC received a $500,000 state grant to launch the center.
Chamber chief to advise on insurance
Kim Scheeler, president of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, will co-chair the Florida Chamber of Commerce's business coalition on property insurance. The coalition plans to help the governor's property insurance reform committee come up with a solution to the insurance crisis and then lobby the Legislature.
IBM makes a deal in its buying spree
IBM Corp.'s recent acquisition roll continued Wednesday with a $1.3-billion cash deal for Internet Security Systems Inc., which performs network monitoring and analysis services for companies. Two weeks ago, IBM sealed a $1.6-billion pact for document-management software provider FileNet Corp. On Aug. 3 IBM agreed to a $740-million buy of MRO Software Inc.
AT&T sues to stop use of phone records
AT&T sued Wednesday to identify 25 data brokers who it claims fraudulently obtained phone-calling records for about 2,500 customers without their approval. AT&T Inc. said the data brokers posed as customers to get the records, which are often used in legal or domestic disputes. The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court, does not name the defendants. The phone company wants the names to seek and injunction and damages.
News report perks up Ford stock
Shares of Ford Motor Co. surged more than 4 percent Wednesday, following a report that chairman and chief executive Bill Ford had approached Nissan- Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn about joining the global alliance. The report in the Wall Street Journal cited "a person well-positioned to know." The company had no comment.