Business notebook
Expansion: Portsmouth, N.H.-based Bottomline Technologies, provider of payment and invoice automation software for the financial services industry, said it plans to expand its Melbourne sales office to do more business in Asia.
Video deal: Blinkx said Microsoft Corp. has agreed to use Blinkx technology to power the video search on some parts of its MSN Internet sites and Live.com.
CEO out: Airbus chief executive Christian Streiff resigned after a little more than three months as head of the troubled European plane maker. Parent company EADS named one of its own co-CEOs to replace him.
Costly: Cheesecake Factory, operator of 110 US restaurants, said a probe of its stock option grants may cost the company as much as $1.2 million in the third quarter. An informal inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission and shareholder lawsuits may result in additional costs, the company said.
Going long: AT&T Inc.'s Global Network Services India Private Ltd. became the first foreign company in India to win licenses to sell long-distance service to large businesses with headquarters in India. Sales will begin by year-end.
Jerky pairing: Iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. is joining forces with ConAgra Foods Inc. to sell beef jerky. Sales of the $5.99 packs are slated to begin Jan. 8.
Pay cut: Comair Holdings, Delta Air Lines Inc.'s bankrupt commuter unit, will cut compensation to flight attendants by 7.5 percent starting Nov. 15, after the parties failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Comair also said it would file a motion to block any attempt by the flight attendants' union to strike.
A sweeter side: German truckmaker MAN AG said it may withdraw its $12.1 billion hostile takeover bid for Scania AB as it seeks a friendly combination with the Swedish company.
Pfizer buy: Drug maker Pfizer Inc. said it agreed to purchase privately held Oxford, England-based vaccine company PowderMed Ltd. for an undisclosed sum, making a push into an increasingly profitable industry.
News network goes global: Distributors have reached a deal to make the ABC News Now service available on satellite television in India, the first time that the network's 24-hour news carrier will be seen outside the United States.
(Globe wire services)
