IBM Gives Feds $45M in Translation Tech

AP ^ | April 3, 2007 | BRIAN BERGSTEIN

[Ramcat]

To honor an employee's son who was badly wounded in Iraq, IBM Corp. plans to give the U.S. military $45 million worth of Arabic-English translation technology that the Pentagon had been testing for possible purchase.

The offer - made from the highest reaches of the company directly to President Bush - is so unusual that Defense Department and IBM lawyers have been scouring federal laws to make sure the government can accept the donation.

[Ramcat]

It would be a big help if this software works.

[Uri’el-2012]

BTTT

[Valin]

Defense Department and IBM lawyers have been scouring federal laws to make sure the government can accept the donation.

Why couldn’t they accept it?

[AmericaUnited]

If there’s a “problem” then sell it for $1.

[kevkrom]

Why couldn’t they accept it?

It might be (by the letter of law) considered a bribe or an unfair procurement that harms a competitor.

Given the insane number of regulations the government subjects us (and itself) to, I think it is prudent that they make sure that no one is going to catch grief for making or accepting this generous offer from IBM.

[Valin]

Works for me.

[Ramcat]

Go Big Blue.

[Colorado Doug]

Good for IBM!!

[Valin]

Then you just put a clause in the contract saying..(words to the effect) that this is not a bribe, and IBM does not expect any special treatment in any future dealings.

[dljordan]

“Go Big Blue.”

You think IBM did this out of patriotism or the goodness of their hearts?

[kevkrom]

Then you just put a clause in the contract saying..(words to the effect) that this is not a bribe, and IBM does not expect any special treatment in any future dealings.

It would be nice if it were that simple... however, look at it as such:

The Pentagon has been evaluating IBM's system for purchase. This implies that it is likely that they were also evaluating similar systems from other companies. Let's say XYZ Corp. has a similar system in evaluation as well.

Now comes IBM's offer of giving the government some number of computers/licenses for free. Regardless of the rationale behind the offer, if you're XYZ Corp., you're going to see this as IBM getting an unfair advantage toward a potential larger/longer-term contract.

Many of the procurement and gift rules the government works under seem asinine, but there's a reason for most of them.

[jveritas]

I hope it is not like the bable fish software because it really sucks.

[Valin]

I know, it’s just...frustrating.

[texas booster]

More here on the Global Autonomous Language Exploitation:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1755259/posts

[texas booster]

From above link:

"The past few years have shown that U.S. government intelligence goes only so far. One of the biggest challenges is recognizing vital information in foreign languages — and acting quickly on it.

That's why the military would love software that can:

Listen to TV broadcasts or phone conversations and read Web sites in Arabic and Chinese;

Translate them into English;

Summarize the key elements for humans.

But each of those steps has long bedeviled computer scientists. Perfecting them and combining them well, that is "DARPA hard".

[Ramcat]

To honor an employee's son who was badly wounded in Iraq, IBM Corp. plans to give the U.S. military $45 million worth of Arabic-English translation technology that the Pentagon had been testing for possible purchase.

This is the reason the article gives.

I know nothing about IBM's heart.

[whatexit]

Sure, give them the software... but then make millions on the maintenance contract ;)

[GSlob]

Count on the lawyers to muddy up the situation.

[GSlob]

"it is prudent that they make sure that no one is going to catch grief for making or accepting this generous offer from IBM."
Well, just issue a presidential pardon for all those involved, and let them proceed.

[kevkrom]

Well, just issue a presidential pardon for all those involved, and let them proceed.

:)

Of course, then some Congresscritter who's on XYZ corp's payroll opens an "investigation" because someone in IBM management actually was a Bush contributor once upon a time...

Just file this under "no good deed goes unpunished".