HP claims Oracle promised hiring Hurd would not stop Itanium support

FLOGGER OF EXPENSIVE PRINTER INK HP has hit back at Oracle, stating the two firms signed a contract after Oracle hired former HP CEO Mark Hurd stating it would continue supporting Itanium.

Late last week Oracle fired off the latest salvo in its growing legal spat with HP, citing in a revised complaint that HP had "made false and deceptive statements" to the company and the public regarding Itanium. Now HP has responded claiming former HP CEO and now Oracle president Hurd signed a deal committing Oracle to "continue to offer its product suite on HP platforms in a manner consistent with the partnership as it existed prior to Oracle's hiring of Hurd".

Since Hurd's acrimonious departure from HP only to end up at Oracle, the relations between the two firms have been at best, frosty. However, since Oracle's decision to stop supporting the IA64 architecture, the relationship has thawed into all out legal battle between the two companies.

HP's statement was less a press release and more like a set of bullet points its lawyers are likely to use in court. HP claimed it has emails from Oracle's general counsel that state Oracle would continue to support Itanium after hiring Hurd.

"Oracle confirmed that it was agreeing to continue to port its software products to HP's platforms in the same manner as it had done prior to its hiring of Hurd. In an email sent to HP on September 12, 2010, Oracle's general counsel wrote that this provision was 'an agreement to continue to work together as the companies have...'."

Now HP is alleging that Oracle is trying to worm its way out of the contract by claiming it does not require the firm to port its database software, Oracle's flagship product. HP, for the first time, is bringing the focus onto Hurd, insinuating that his feelings towards HP have led to the relationship between the two firms souring.

HP went out of its way to paint a picture of the contract as trying to isolate the two firms from Hurd's history with HP, saying it was intended to "convince HP that Oracle's hiring of Hurd would not alter the relationship between the companies or be used unfairly to undermine HP's business".

Of course HP didn't directly claim that Hurd had anything to do with the lawsuit but it is the strongest language yet suggesting that the former HP CEO threw a spanner into HP's works. This is all pretty ironic, given that Hurd's golden parachute when he left HP was reportedly worth several millions. µ