IBM was sentenced to pay about 10.7 billion yuan in compensation for privately poaching customers – yqqlm

Phoenix Network Technology News Beijing time on June 1, a US federal judge ruled that IBM must pay BMC software company 1.6 billion US dollars (about 10.7 billion yuan) in compensation,Why IBM has clients switch to its software when serving their mutual clients.

IBM and BMC have long operated under a carefully negotiated agreement. The agreement prohibits IBM from encouraging their mutual customers to switch to their own software product lines. In 2017, BMC sued IBM, saying its rival planned to breach the agreement by poaching AT&T’s software business when the two companies renewed their power-sharing agreement in 2015. IBM countered that AT&T ditched BMC for its own reasons. IBM claims it is fair competition under its agreement with BMC.

U.S. District Judge Gray Miller in Houston on Monday dismissed IBM’s allegations. IBM said it had fairly and equitably obtained an account for mainframe software from AT&T, one of BMC’s core customers. Miller awarded BMC the damages based on his earlier decision, arguing that IBM’s role in AT&T’s decision to ditch BMC was a bit like “willful misconduct.”

In a statement, IBM said: “This decision is entirely without factual and legal merit, and IBM intends to seek a full reversal on appeal. The decision to remove BMC software technology from its mainframes was made solely by AT&T. , which was upheld by the court and confirmed in the testimony of AT&T representatives.”