Swisscom AG is in talks with Swiss technology firm Ascom to buy the Swiss part of its Network Integration division, the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper said. "The negotiations over a partnership are on-going but nothing has been signed as yet," Daniel Lack, a spokesman for Ascom, was quoted as saying by the newspaper on Sunday. A spokeswoman for Swisscom was not immediately available for comment.
The NZZ reported that the sale of the Swiss part of the unit with turnover of some 110 million Swiss francs ($95 million) a year could be concluded in the coming weeks.
The Network Integration division installs speech and data networks for companies.
Ascom reported a net profit for 2004 of 47 million Swiss francs earlier this month, compared with a loss of 68 million a year earlier.
The firm plans to reduce its operations to two units one making devices such as hospital call buttons, another making alarm systems for trains and plant.