The breakneck pace at which the Comecon countries are opening up and admitting the possibility of Western companies investing in their local industries creates some intriguing possibilities for the key computer companies east of the iron curtain that is rapidly rusting away: General Electric Co has led the way with its negotiations over the future of Hungary’s Tungsram maker of exploding light bulbs, but Bull SA is well placed to be invited to invest in the computer arm of Videoton in Hungary; ICL, already assembling ME29s in Poland, and Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA, whose Logabax in France has long-standing ties with Mera both look well placed, but the big prize would be VEB Kombinat Robotron, with bases in East Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig – while Siemens AG must be the front-runner to be invited to invest, IBM itself may well be taking a look.
