In an unexpected alliance, IBM Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co yesterday announced that they are joining forces to develop and manufacture fibre-optic components to be marketed to computer manufacturers for use as low-cost, high-speed communications devices for computer-to-computer and computer-to-peripheral connections. The partners said the components should enhance the way computers are used in scientific, medical, business, engineering and other applications by allowing them to exchange vast amounts of data more quickly and less expensively than previously possible. Financial terms were not disclosed. Both companies will market the components independently starting this year. IBM is manufacturing the first component, a high-speed optical-link board, with Hewlett-Packard starting production later. They will be marketed by Hewlett-Packard’s Communications Components Division and IBM’s Application Business Systems OEM Group; Hewlett-Packard will develop and manufacture optical receivers for both companies’ use. It will also develop and manufacture transmitter and receiver chip sets to handle serial-to-parallel conversions and clock recovery circuitry, and IBM will supply it with high-volume optical-link board manufacturing and its short-wavelength CD laser technologies.
