The company attributed the loss to the worldwide downturn in industrial equipment markets.

A. Because, up until last year, we were precluded from the large equipment market.

Plantronics has expanded into other segments of the audio equipment market through acquisitions.

After all the golf equipment market is worth billions.

In addition to the markets served by other departments, Components serves medical equipment markets.

"I chose it because of claims that the equipment market is closed and I was skeptical," he said.

Although many of the older analog type curve tracers are no longer manufactured, they may be available on the used equipment market.

It had previously devoted most of its resources to the fixed-line equipment market.

"Their domestic share of the orginal equipment market has gone up from 33 percent, to about 35 percent now," he said.

The optical equipment market is a cornerstone of Nortel's recovery strategy.