SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2008 (AFP) - IBM announced on Wednesday that it has bought Platform Solutions Inc., acquiring its California rival's technology and ending lawsuits which the firms had filed against each other.

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2008 (AFP) - Technology giant IBM said Monday it had been temporarily suspended from seeking new business with US federal agencies, amid an investigation into possible procurement irregularities.

BRUSSELS, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - EU competition regulators approved on Wednesday the US technology giant IBM's takeover of Swedish software firm Telelogic after finding that the deal would not stifle competition.

After an in-depth antitrust probe, the European Commission concluded that 'the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition,' it said in a statement.

BRUSSELS, Jan 24, 2008 (AFP) - The EU's competition watchdog on Thursday gave the go-ahead to a bid by US computer giant IBM to buy Canadian business-intelligence software firm Cognos.

The European Commission decided that the deal 'would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area.'

WASHINGTON, Jan 14, 2008 (AFP) - Computer giant IBM reported on Monday fourth quarter earnings of 2.80 dollars a share, an increase year-to-year of 24 percent.

IBM outpaced analysts' expectations with full-year earnings for 2007 at 7.18 per share, an increase of 18 percent, compared with earnings of 6.06 per share in 2006, the company said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - US computer giant IBM announced a deal Monday to buy Canadian business-intelligence software firm Cognos for five billion US dollars in cash.

The friendly takeover, subject to Cognos shareholder approval, should be finalized during the first quarter of 2008, IBM said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - IT giant IBM is buying Cognos, the Canadian firm which helps corporations measure their financial and operating performance, for five billion dollars in cash, both companies announced Monday.

The friendly takeover, subject to Cognos shareholder approval, should be finalized during the first quarter of 2008, IBM said in a statement.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - The creator of Second Life and technology stalwart IBM announced Wednesday they have joined forces to knock down walls separating virtual worlds on the Internet.

The US firms are using a Virtual Worlds Expo and Conference in San Jose, California, to promote enabling people's animated online personae, referred to as 'avatars,' to freely roam from one virtual world to another.

Currently, avatars are trapped in the virtual worlds in which they are created.

BRUSSELS, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - The European Commission on Wednesday announced an in-depth probe into US computer giant IBM's proposed takeover of Swedish software firm Telelogic, fearing it could harm competition in the software sector.

'Both IBM and Telelogic are active in the market for software development tools,' the Commission, the EU's competition regulator, said in a statement.

BANGALORE, India, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - Technology giant IBM launched a bid Tuesday to find drug treatments for diseases such as dengue fever and Hepatitis C by using a global computer grid whose aim is to benefit humanity.

Researchers estimated 50,000 years of computing research would be needed for the bid but it will instead be completed in just one year through the 'world community grid,' IBM said in Bangalore, where it has a research facility.