Compagnie des Machines Bull on Friday duly announced its joint venture with Hungary’s Videoton electronics conglomerate (CI No 1,345), saying that it would involve total investment of up to $60m. The venture, 51% owned by Videoton, 49% by Bull, will initially be capitalised at $6m, and will offer complete computer systems and computer services throughout the Comecon countries. To start with, the new company – as yet unnammed will assemble Bull’s DPS 7000 mid-range mainframes and its DPX/2 Unix machines, and developing applications for them. Videton’s annual computer business is put at $165m, but it is not clear whether this will be included in the joint venture, agreement on which was signed by President Francois Mitterrand on Friday during his two-day trip to Hungary.
