Marconi, the listed telecoms equipment manufacturer, is likely to opt for an outright sale rather than a break up or the disposal of particular businesses, it is understood. Marconi's failure to secure a £10bn contract to upgrade BT's network effectively impacted the whole of the group's UK business. A break up is considered as impractical, but a strategic review was still at a very early stage. Marconi will release its results for the year ended 31 March 2005 on 17 May, but it is understood that this will be too early to disclose any results of the strategic review.