3 Firms Plan Interactive-Education Venture

Hughes Electronics Corp. and Apollo Group Inc. agreed to form a new company and buy closely held One Touch Systems to provide satellite-based interactive education and training. Under the agreement, Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems would own 51% of the new company and educational service provider Apollo Group, based in Phoenix, will own 49%. One Touch Systems is the leading supplier of so-called interactive distance learning. The company would be called One Touch Systems and would remain based in San Jose.