Oracle Accuses HP of Paying to Keep Itanium Alive

All Things D: In a court filing, Oracle has lobbed some more charges at HP. Specifically, Oracle says HP and Intel plan to kill off the Itanium platform after “the next two generations of microprocessors.” In addition, Oracle accuses HP of paying Intel to keep Itanium going. “HP has secretly contracted with Intel to keep churning out Itaniums so that HP can maintain the appearance that a dead microprocessor is still alive,” Oracle writes. “The whole thing is a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s.”

HP replied with a statement that read, “Oracle’s latest filing is nothing more than a desperate delay tactic designed to extend the paralyzing uncertainty in the marketplace created when Oracle announced in March 2011 — in a clear breach of contract — that it would no longer support HP’s Itanium platform. The fact remains that Oracle’s decision to cut off support for Itanium was an illicit business strategy it conjured to try to force Itanium customers into buying Sun servers, and destroy choice in the marketplace.”