The ATM Forum is of course the body that lays down standards for automatic teller machines, while AT&T GIS is the division of the telephone giant that specialises in Geographical Information Systems – the one that knows where the bodies – er, cables are buried no doubt. But have you heard the one about BT? According to the Daily Mail, it is expected to try to reach an out-of-court settlement with Procter & Gamble Co Inc over allegations of racketeering, fraud and corruption so that mortally embarrassing tapes don’t get aired in court. According to BusinessWeek, a salesman describes a deal as a massive, huge future gravy train, and describes another as a wet dream. In a videotaped training session, an employee even says that what BT can do for Sony and IBM is get in the middle and rip them off. Really? Our own dear British Telecommumications Plc? Say a thing like that? No, no, no – the allegations are all about Bankers Trust, which was known as BT even when British Telecom was still part of the General Post Office.
