TheUS Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating IBM's
dominance of the mainframecomputer
market.
The move comes after the
Computer and Communications
Industry Association complained about the tactics used by IBM
to keep its mainframe customers captive.
Mainframe computers and the associated software and services are
still an important source of revenue for IBM.
The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
alleges IBM holds on to mainframe customers by refusing to license
parts of its technology to other companies to build IBM-compatible
machines.
Other US competitors have told the CCIA their customers have
received letters from IBM, warning them of the legal risks of
buying competitors' products.
Based on the allegations, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has
sent requests for information to a number of US technology
companies about practices in the mainframe market, according to the
Financial Times.
IBM said it intends to co-operate with any inquiries from the
DoJ, but believes it is fully entitled to enforce its intellectual
property rights and protect investments made in its
technologies.
European authorities are conducting a monopoly investigation into
IBM after rival T3 Technologies filed a complaint in
January.
T3 Technologies claims IBM has abused its monopoly by tying
sales of its operating system to its mainframe hardware.
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