L M Ericsson has gained further ground in the US public switching market by winning a small but strategic order with Southwestern Bell for two Axe exchanges. The Bell operating company has ordered one switch one to place in its advanced technology laboratory in St Louis to be up and running by mid-1988, and a 15,000 line system to place as a local exchange in Sedalia, Missouri to begin working in early 1988. In addition, the companies have signed a general purpose agreement outlining the terms and conditions under which the two will trade, as well as a contract for engineering and installation services. Ericsson says it has invested very heavily in adapting equipment and marketing for the US. The company won a $16m order with US West to replace electromechanical exchanges in April and it is currently in phase two of the Bell Communications Research evaluation system, which is a technical trial, with Nynex for Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN. Ericsson won a $15.9m order for 51 Axe exchanges from US West Inc back in April.
