Lucent, Alcatel look to ease security concerns

As part of their merger talks, Lucent and Alcatel are planning to place some of Lucent's sensitive defense-related research under the control of a separate board composed only of Americans, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Congress and parts of the U.S. defense establishment have become increasingly suspicious of foreign takeovers recently, especially when the companies have some stake in the business of national security. The companies have yet come to a final decision on how to appease the concerns.

For the latest on Alcatel's acquisition of Lucent:
- see this article from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)