Here are past answers & discussions on similar topics:
[8 c | 4 mo] [Flaired Respondent | IBM](http://redd.it/2wpbj4 "The book "IBM and the Holocaust" by Edwin Black argues that IBM was very helpful in tracking and killing jews for Germany during WW2. Is this book overly bias or was IBM indirectly responsible for millions of deaths? : AskHistorians")
[44 c | 2 yr] Lists | Various US Companies
Key:
M&SC = Methodological & Source Criticism
c = comments
dy = days old
wk = weeks old
mo = months old
yr = years old
Ask followup questions by commenting with /u/ appended to a flaired specialist's username i.e. /u/OldWorldGlory.
IBM. Nazi Germany needed a cataloging system for tracking European Jewry censuses. Since the Jewish "race" included millions of people, a computing system was a more efficient way of keeping detailed records. The punch card system was the state of the art "computing system" at the time and IBM leased the machines to Germany to interpret the punch cards. Also, the lease included the supply of punch cards.
Also, while the U.S. issued 1903 Springfield to their soldiers, the patent to the bolt mechanism the 1903 used belonged to the Germans and their Mauser style of rifle. So the U.S. Federal government had to pay royalties to the German government as long as the 1903 was in service.