In Brief: Integrion Home Banking Group Cuts Its Staff from 80 to 65

Integrion Financial Network, the Philadelphia-based home banking consortium, laid off 15 of its 80 employees last week.

The layoffs, described as part of a restructuring, were concentrated in the Herndon, Va., office, the site of the former Visa Interactive operations, which Integrion is aiming to phase out by June 2000.

About 20 banks serve 400,000 on-line customers using the Visa Interactive platform. Four of those-Fleet Financial Group, U.S. Bancorp, Comerica Bank, and First Union Corp.-are also Integrion owners. The plan is to move all the banks to Integrion's Interactive Financial Services system.

Also departing Integrion was Scott Wallace, the chief marketing officer. Emily Mendell, manager of planning and communications, is taking over the marketing responsibilities, and Leonard Caldwell, director of relationship management, will add Mr. Wallace's responsibilities.

Integrion, in the process of recapitalizing, expects to make an announcement in mid-February that would reveal a "slightly smaller" roster of banks that would be involved in the consortium, Ms. Mendell said.

The current owners are 15 banks, Visa U.S.A., and International Business Machines Corp.