DayStar Digital Inc, the Flowery Branch, Georgia builder of high- end Macintosh clones, has had to lay off more than a third of its workforce because of slow sales with16 positions eliminated last month in its lagging accelerator board business. The company now employs about 50, down from 89 a month ago, it said.

Azlan Group Plc has won a distribution and support deal from Compaq Computer Corp for the latter’s new high-end internetworking products.

Ameritech Corp expects to pursue a range of alliances in areas where it has weaknesses, but says it does not see any value in merger deals like that of SBC Communications Inc and Pacific Telesis Group Inc. It will instead look for alliances on services for the Internet, software and home security services.

LSI Logic Corp has given IBM Corp a five-year facilities management contract to run its data centre and network operations, as well as provide desktop computing services.

MCI Communications Corp took its time to deny that story in the Wall Street Journal that it started disconnecting IBM Corp telecommunications service before a contract expired (CI No 2,888): We did not cut off any of IBM’s service, MCI said, adding that it was considering making a formal statement.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc settled their patent disputes with a cross-license agreement covering all patents of either filed before 1998.

The Pacific Bell arm of Pacific Telesis Group Inc has agreed to pay $50m for the right to call the San Francisco Giant’s new stadium Pacific Bell Park for 24 years. The phone company will also give the team technological assistance in building the $250m stadium.