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HP Asks Judge To Enforce Itanium Contract Vs. Oracle
Dupple writes with this quote from a Reuters report:
"Hewlett-Packard Co told a judge on Tuesday that Oracle Corp should be ordered to make its software available on HP's Itanium-based servers for as long as HP sells them. Lawyers for HP and Oracle presented closing arguments in a California state court for the first phase in a bitter lawsuit between the two tech giants. ... Oracle decided to stop developing software for use with Itanium last year, saying Intel made it clear that the chip was nearing the end of its life and was shifting its focus to its x86 microprocessor. But HP said it had an agreement with Oracle that support for Itanium would continue, without which the equipment using the chip would become obsolete. HP said that commitment was affirmed when it settled a lawsuit over Oracle's hiring of ousted HP chief executive Mark Hurd. HP seeks up to $4 billion in damages."
HP seeks up to $4 billion in damages.
Years ago when the itanic was sinking, I heard shipping estimates as low as 200K processors annually. I'm sure its lower now. But that implies something on the order of $20K damages per processor shipped, which is astounding.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
>HP didn't pay Oracle to develop, or maintain their software for HP systems. Oracle did it because they thought it was good business.
Larry signed the contract. They're on the hook.
Just like David Boies signed a contract to prosecute SCO's lawsuits until the heat death of the universe, because he thought he was going to get a chunk of the 5 billion SCO was suing IBM for.
Greed leads to bad decisions. Who woulda thunk it.
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BMO