Hewlett Packard Co Says Oracle Corp Violated Contract; Seeks Up To $4 Billion In Damages-Reuters

Reuters reported according to a lawyer for Hewlett Packard Co said in court that Oracle Corp violated a clear contract with Hewlett Packard Co when it decided it would no longer make new versions of its database software compatible with HP's Itanium-based servers. The two technology companies faced off on June, 4, 2012 for opening statements in a bitter lawsuit over Oracle's decision to end support for Itanium. An Oracle attorney, said Oracle never agreed to give up its business flexibility in the "brief, breezy" contract language cited by HP. The trial, in which HP seeks up to $4 billion in damages. But HP said it had an agreement with Oracle that support for Itanium would continue, without which the equipment using the chip would become obsolete. HP said that commitment was affirmed when it settled an earlier lawsuit over Oracle's hiring of ousted HP chief executive Mark Hurd.