IBM Corp’s Czech subsidiary has won a contract valued at $1.6m for the supply and installation of computer systems from the Czech arms manufacturer Ceska zbrojovka, based in Uhersky Brod, South Moravia. The deal wan announced on the opening day of the international Engineering Fair in Brno. Alexander Winler, IBM’s marketing manager for the Moravian region, said the contract involved the supply of IBM’s entire business line. Asked for the further clarification, he helpfully noted that this included low-end personal computers, RS/6000 workstations and ES/9000 mainframes. Mr Winkler commented optimistically: I don’t see any problem with CoCom, however when asked whether CoCom clearance had already been obtained for the project, he refused to give any answer. The Czech government recently gave the go-ahead for the country’s arms manufacturers to resume the search for export markets, reversing the stance that was taken by President Vaclav Havel at the time of his inauguration.
