History (1990): IBM Offers 3480 Cartridge Library From Haushahn

After giving up the idea of manufacturing its own 3480 cartridge automatic library, IBM is looking for a way of satisfying customers who want to automate their cartridges without having to have to do with StorageTek that uses its own drives in its ACS 4400 system, or that want to have on single supplier for their entire computer configuration.

First IBM tried to negotiate with Grau Datentechnik GmbH (Böhmenkirch, West Germany) to distribute the automatic library developed by the German manufacturer.

Then Big Blue turned to Haushahn (Stuttgart, West Germany) that manufactured a robot so similar that Grau filed a suit for infringement vs. its German competitor. Recently, the German court approved Haushahn, but the lawsuit is not over.

IBM nevertheless began offering Haushahn’s library to its US customers and Grau is keeping on manufacturing its product and has sold 50 models.

This article is an abstract of news published on the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter on issue ≠31, published on August 1990.