IBM Won't Comment On German Acquisition Report

IBM officials aren't commenting on reports that the company is in the market to buy German IT outsourcing firms to bolster its presence in the European services market. On Friday, the German business daily Handelsblatt quoted an unidentified IBM official who said the company would "participate" in the consolidation of Germany's IT services market.

IBM previously tried to acquire Triaton GmbH, the IT services unit of Dusseldorf-based engineering firm ThyssenKrupp, but was outbid by Hewlett-Packard, which acquired Triaton in February. An IBM spokesman says the company has no comment on Handelsblatt's report. Research firm Gartner expects the European IT-services market to grow 3.1% in 2004.