Fuelling speculation that the Houston-based firm plans to build Micro Channel Architecture machines, Compaq Computer Corp Friday said it signed a patent cross-licence pact with IBM under which each company granted to the other a worldwide, non-exclusive licence covering patents with an effective filing date before July 1, 1993. The agreement will agreement will result in a net payment by Compaq to IBM – a fixed dollar amount to be paid by Compaq – which has been saving up since 1987 – in five annual installments.
