AIRLINES: The airline industry's computer reservation system (CRS) links branch offices and thousands of travel agencies around the world, handling seat reservations, sales, delivery of travel documents, schedule and fare changes and information on hotels, car hire and cultural events. The costs of setting up these networks worldwide are phenomenal and several airlines have got together to set up alliances to gain access to foreign markets and the latest software and CRS technology.

• US-based IBM and Thomson-CSF of France -- to market microprocessor chips.

• IBM and Toshiba of Japan -- to develop static random access memory chips.

• IBM and Siemens to develop advanced random access memory chips.

• IBM, Siemens and Toshiba to develop a new 256-megabyte chip.

• Renault of France and Volvo of Sweden to produce motor cars and trucks.

• US-based Coca Cola and Nestle of Switzerland to distribute canned hot drinks through vending machines.

• French Sanofi and US-based Eastman Kodak to share distribution networks.