Now that it has its hands full building the one private digital cellular network licensed to compete with the state-owned network being built by Deutsche Bundespost Telekom, Mannesmann AG is reportedly beginning to wonder it really wants to make the investments necessary to build its Mannesmann-Kienzle GmbH computer and peripherals subsidiary into a world call player, and according to yesterday’s edition of Der Spiegel magazine, has decided to put the business up for sale. According to Der Spiegel, leading contenders to buy the business are ICL, bankrolled by its new sugar-daddy Fujitsu Ltd, AT&T Co, and Siemens AG – but regulatory authorities would likely rule Siemens out now it owns Nixdorf Computer AG. It is said that the clincher in persuading the steel and pipes giant to give the computer industry best was the fact that it missed out to Siemens in the bidding to take control of Nixdorf. The barely profitable computer arm has annual sales approaching $1,000m and employs 4,000. Mannesmann would reportedly hang on to Kienzle’s taximeter and speedometer business, merging it with its Fichtel & Sachs subsidiary.
