IBM and Acer Sign $8 Billion Seven-Year Technology Alliance

IBM and Acer Group have signed a seven-year procurement and technology alliance expected to be worth $8 billion. Under the pact, Acer will source IBM hard drives, microelectronics, networking, and display technology for its server, desktop, and notebook lines. Acer also gets to resell IBM technology, hard drives included, through its own channels.

The two companies were hardly strangers before this. Acer already manufactures IBM personal computers under a separate multi-billion dollar agreement, and the new alliance is an expansion of that existing set of relationships. Both sides say they plan to explore further manufacturing collaboration, technology exchanges, and joint development on top of the deal.