New York Stock Exchange Increases Efforts To Lure Firms Away from Nasdaq.

Byline: Maureen Fan

May 13--NEW YORK--When the New York Stock Exchange made its sales pitch to an Emeryville software maker, it invited Pieter Van der Vorst and his boss to watch specialists handle trades on the exchange floor, from a vantage point right next to CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.

"It was unbelievable. It was extraordinarily impressive," said Van der Vorst, chief financial officer of Sybase, which last month became the 10th company this year to announce a switch from the Nasdaq to the Big Board. "We actually watched them close the gap between buyers and sellers."

As the rout in technology stocks continues, the NYSE is taking advantage of the Nasdaq's plunge by stepping up its drive to woo technology companies. The NYSE has made personal pitches, ramped up advertising, beefed up staff at its year-old Palo Alto office and even revised some rules for eligibility. If the current pace continues, NYSE executives think this year will mark a sharp acceleration in the number of companies …