In Brief: LOT chooses alliance; Centra expands to U.K; TPSA billing bid

Flagship carrier LOT Polish Airlines has announced that the company has chosen the multinational alliance they would like to join, but did not reveal the name of the chosen group. LOT has two alliances to choose from, Lufthansa's Star Alliance and British Airways' OneWorld. The decision, however, has not yet received the support of the State Ministry. (Puls Biznesu, p. 10) ... Poznan-based car battery producer Centra, owned by U.S.-based Exide Technologies, will take over production of a plant in the United Kingdom. As a result of the acquisition, Centra will increase its production to 3.3 million batteries a year. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) ... Telecom giant Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TPSA) will most likely announce today a short list of companies bidding to provide TPSA with a billing system aimed at its business clients. An unexpected last-minute offer was made by French firm Sofrecom, who had not even been invited to the bid. (Puls Biznesu, p. 7) A.K.