Spain Unwraps HP-Fueled Anticompetitive Inquiry against Oracle
Fueled by HP, the Spanish National Competition Authority (CNC) has started looking into possible anticompetitive practices by Oracle from its decision to stop supporting the Itanium platform. Subsequently, the CNC has opened an investigation into anticompetitive performs by Oracle.
After Oracle’s decision to cease software development for Hewlett-Packard and Intel’s Itanium chips in March, both the companies are fighting both inside the court and out. Oracle dropped the idea of making software applications for Itanium powered platform, saying the chip was nearing its end, and the company’s focus was on its own x86 microprocessor.
HP later said Oracle’s decision to stop supporting Itanium was a violation of obligations between companies, and a part of a plan to force HP customers onto Oracle’s own hardware systems. HP then filed a suit in the Santa Clara Superior Court seeking damage from Oracle.
The CNC case can last a maximum period of 18 months to investigate and reach a decision. HP in a testimonial in the Spanish case said, “HP continues to pursue all avenues to enforce Oracle’s commitments to HP and our shared customers, and will continue to take actions to protect its customers’ best interests. It is our hope that Oracle will honor its commitments to HP and to our shared customers.”
Oracle is fighting other cases, including one against Google for patent and copyright infringement for its use Java technology. In the suit, Oracle claims Google’s Android mobile platform has several infringements on the Java programming language. Google is directly and repeatedly using Oracle’s Java-related intellectual property, leading Oracle to claim its share of Android’s advertising revenue. Java was developed by Sun Microsystems, which Oracle acquired back in late 2009.
HP, along with Intel, have developed Itanium’s IA-64 architecture, using it on most of its hardware devices. The electronics manufacturer provides its own operating systems HP-UX, OpenVMS and Tandem Nonstop using Itanium based servers, which are mostly used in mission critical systems, with some running on Oracle database management software. Oracle decision to stop supporting Itanium platform would bring HP’s Itanium-based server business inevitably to an end.
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