Short Take: USWeb buys franchises

Internet professional services and consulting firm has bought out six additional franchises, turning operations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Diego, and Seattle into company-owned locations. Financial terms were not disclosed, but management teams of the acquisitions will still run daily operations. USWeb, launched last year as a franchiser for existing Web design firms, also has company-owned operations in Milwaukee, New York, Orange County, and San Francisco.