keller@uicsl.UUCP (12/01/84)
IBM = I-BUY-M From Nov. 1 1984 Datamation (p.9): "IBM's $1.2 billion purchase of Rolm Corp. may be only the beginning of an acquisition binge, say some industry observers. The computer giant has several niches to fill, particularly in the communications business... The most intriguing report currently circulating has IBM eyeing MCI, the long distance telephone carrier...Another potential buy is Hayes, the modem people. Then there's Sytek Inc., maker of local area networks (which is largely owned by General Instruments but just sold a 6% stake to IBM), and Intel [IBM owns more than 20%]. Intel is said to be adamant about avoiding and IBM takeover... Observers say it is particularly likely that IBM will buy software companies..." --- If you ran IBM's personal computer group would you let a product like the Data General One go unanswered? Why doesn't IBM sell modem's for the PC series? Is IBM going to let Lotus and Microsoft make hundreds of millions on software without a fight? Why should IBM sell an Epson printer? I remember a quote from someone at IBM to the effect that they could buy Apple Corp. out of pocket change. Did you know that IBM is an investor in Pyramid Computers maker of RISC UNIX machines? I have sat in a group at a relatively new computer company and watched the almost mystical effect of contemplating going up against IBM. A silence descends on the group while they wonder how long they will be allowed to pursue their market without being clobbered by IBM. IBM will soon be the biggest (in sales and maybe other ways as well) corporation in the world. They employ over 300k people (I think). They are a very strong number 1 in almost everything they do. I just finished Robert Ludlum's "The Matarese Circle" in which a group of power hungry people set about creating a huge multinational corporation and use their financial and political power to subvert governments. Hmm...