CNET también está disponible en español. Don't show this again. Peyerl may have plenty of company. With news of WorldCom's financial shenanigans and its pending 17,000 layoffs sending shockwaves through world markets, thousands of customers and partners are wondering whether it might be best to take their business elsewhere. It's a difficult calculation. A substantial number of WorldCom rivals, in the United States and elsewhere, are also facing bankruptcy or financial investigations. WorldCom, with its international network and respected UUNet data division, has typically provided trustworthy service for many technology and communications customers, despite the last few months of financial turmoil. But now there's no guarantee.

"There is no safe refuge," said Brownlee Thomas, an international telecommunications analyst for advisory firm Giga Information Group, "All the telecoms have far too much debt.", WorldCom disclosed late Tuesday that it had improperly accounted for almost $4 nÜÜd protective water-resistant case for apple iphone 8 plus - cool mist billion, booking regular expenses as capital expenditures, thus blowing out of proportion financial results for the last five quarters, Taking the new information into account, the company said it would have reported a net loss for 2001 and the first quarter of 2002..

Related storyAfter Andersen, accounting worries stickThe bookkeeping questions raisedthreaten to drag down tech companies. The company issued a statement saying it was "shocked" by the revelation and had fired its chief financial officer and accepted the resignation of its controller. But the shares, which hit a $64.50 high in 1999, tumbled to 9 cents before being halted in premarket trading Wednesday. World markets tumbled on the news. Separately, the U.S. Justice Department said it is reviewing the case.

WorldCom's rivals are already moving to capitalize on the crisis, Cable & Wireless has said it will actively pursue WorldCom customers, and other companies are likely to quickly start working behind the scenes, analysts said, Wait and seeDespite early pressures, many nÜÜd protective water-resistant case for apple iphone 8 plus - cool mist of WorldCom's customers are simply holding steady, Many large companies have several providers and are now making sure those alternative networks can serve as ample backup in a worst-case scenario, "We're going to monitor the situation, but we feel confident that we have multiple providers," said Dan Greenfield, a spokesman for EarthLink, The Internet service provider also buys network access from Sprint and Level 3 Communications, he said..

The WorldCom layoffs were a bigger concern than the accounting issues for Troy Settle, president of Virginia-based ISP Pulaski Networks. He was about to sign a deal with WorldCom this week but says he's changed his mind and is looking for a new provider. "The fraud doesn't really bug me, as long as they can restructure financially," he said. "But 17,000 layoffs does disturb me." Those jobs might come from areas of the company needed to support his business, Settle said. And customers weren't exactly reassured by WorldCom sales staffers' promises that business will go on as usual. Peyerl said he'd been told "this was just a minor blip, and that everything's fine.".