America 1982-Chapter 171 - 64: Unexpected Gains_3

IBM had originally pinned its hopes on its strategic partner Microsoft Company to help restrain the unscrupulous competition from other computer companies, by having Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system exclusively cooperate with IBM. That way those computer companies would have to search for different systems.

But Microsoft turned around and sold IBM clean out, accepting any computer company willing to pay a licensing fee. In short, once the money was paid, they could use the MS-DOS system at will.

Subsequently, Microsoft leapt to the position of a software giant, but the price was that its former partner IBM’s market share in the personal computer market was directly cut in half.

Whether IBM truly wanted to ruin Compaq was unclear, but everyone was certain that IBM definitely wanted to cut down Microsoft for stabbing them in the back.

Despite being betrayed, IBM was helpless because everyone knew that IBM couldn’t afford to be too aggressive at the moment. After all, the United States Government had been accusing IBM of monopoly for a full twenty years. Starting from 1962, the United States Government attempted to dismantle this huge entity with its many tentacles creating monopolies in various industries.

If it weren’t for the excellent foresight and tactics of IBM’s executives, the company would have been torn apart by those politicians using monopoly as an excuse ten times over.

Congressmen were still drooling and clutching their dinner knives looking for an opportunity, making IBM wary of dealing with these other computer companies stealing business too openly. They could only file some minor lawsuits in states where the situation was favorable to them.

Be it Microsoft, Compaq, or even the previous Oracle, they were all confident that even if IBM stood on the plaintiff’s bench, if things were escalated, IBM would be the one to lose in the end. That’s why they dared to be so brazen.

Overall, the litigation between IBM and eleven other computer companies including Compaq was just trivial skirmishing on a small scale. Although IBM wasn’t prepared to escalate the matter to Congress and the Supreme Court, the company hoped to remind everyone through continuous litigation that at this very moment, these computer manufacturers like Compaq were engaged in an illegal business practice. Just wait until the day when laws were perfected; IBM would eventually have a justified excuse to deal with them.

And the frustrating point for these imitators like Compaq was that they had no grounds for a countersuit because they didn’t have excuses like Actor Corporation’s bogus charity claims. They were simply copying IBM and making money—after all, OSS had some practical shortcut features designed by Tommy, but their computer hardware had no innovation at all. They just produced whatever IBM did, and then sold it to users at eighty percent of IBM’s selling price for computers.

"To use one case to drive the rules of two industries, honestly, this was an unexpected gain that I hadn’t anticipated. But it was only when Charles mentioned you wanted to see me did I realize, in just over a year, Compaq has climbed to the third place in the computer market and is qualified to weld the car doors shut," Tommy said after a moment of silence to Benjamin:

"IBM, Apple, Compaq—the three of you, along with a few computer companies you each deem fit, come together, establish a few industry standard architectures, develop standards for bus systems, and then share the market. That way, IBM avoids the label of monopoly, and you won’t have to worry about other small companies like Compaq emerging out of nowhere to snatch the market because if they dare, you can unite to deal with them. So back to the initial question, is IBM willing to see Compaq as a partner rather than an adversary?"

"IBM has been chased and bitten by the United States Government for twenty years without falling. Why do you think that is? It’s certainly not because of companies like Lotus Corporation that nearly infuriated Leon to death," Benjamin said.

Beep, beep, beep, beep... Tommy’s pager went off. He made an apologetic gesture to Benjamin, picked it up to check, and saw an unfamiliar number: "Excuse me, may I return a call?"

"Of course, the phone is over there," Benjamin indicated to the butler to accompany Tommy to make his call, then began talking to Charles about the recent situation with the SSD.

Tommy walked to the phone and dialed the number: "Hello?"

"Tommy? Is that you? I’m Ottilia." From the other end, Ottilia’s voice sounded.

"Miss Ottilia Farrell? Yes, it’s me, Tommy Hawk." Tommy paused for a few seconds, then replied with a smile through the receiver, "So, are you planning to find a man to marry? You’ve chosen quite the time. My girlfriend just broke up with me, and I’m about to make my first ten million in life. I mean, it’s not as much as what Mr. Farrell, your father, makes from selling yachts, but it shouldn’t be too shabby either."

Ottilia chuckled lightly on the other end of the line: "If you always talk to ladies like this, I think your next girlfriend will leave you just as quickly."

"This call is quite a surprise. How did you get my pager number?" Tommy asked, his face sporting a grin, remembering the time the beautiful teacher and his high-school peers spent at summer camp.

"I called your home, and I got it from your father," Ottilia replied.

"So if you’re not looking to find a man to marry, why are you looking for me?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Hold on, someone wants to talk to you..." Ottilia said, then the phone was passed to a voice with a tinge of weathering: "Tommy Hawk, this is Robert Miller, a member of the SSD Cornell University Chapter. I saw the magazine, and I don’t know if I’m the first to contact you, but I hope I am. What are you doing?"

"I’m just negotiating some business deals to earn a bit of money, sir," Tommy replied, not recognizing the name, but out of respect for an SSD member, he responded honestly.

One of the SSD codes: You might not respect anyone outside of your own family in this world, but you must always respect your SSD brethren because they are your family of a different surname.

"Go to the DFS duty-free shop at San Francisco International Airport, a first-class ticket has been prepared for you there," Robert Miller said indifferently:

"That’s what I needed to tell you. Starting from now, you don’t need to negotiate any further; you’re not short on money."