[Info-vax] HP to axe 30,000 jobs to cut costs

[Paul Sture]

On Thu, 24 May 2012 12:18:29 +1000, Subcommandante XDelta wrote:

> On Fri, 18 May 2012 15:44:43 +0200, Paul Sture <paul at sture.ch> wrote:
> 
>>http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/09411f3c-
>>a054-11e1-88e6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1vCHQVMBD
>>
>>or tinyurl:
>>
>>http://preview.tinyurl.com/7npqe4j
>>
>>Ouch!
> 
> From a Reuters/Associated Press report:
> 
> :
> 
> Major decisions
> 
> Meg Whitman became CEO of HP in September, replacing Leo Apotheker, who
> was fired after less than a year on the job. In addition to these job
> cuts, here are some major decisions under her leadership:
> 
> -October 27, 2011: After her predecessor flirts will selling or spinning
> off the PC business, HP says it will keep it after all. The company says
> keeping it is right for the company, its customers, shareholders and
> business partners.
> 
> - December 9: HP says that instead of selling its webOS mobile operating
> system or killing it off, it's making it available as open-source
> software that anyone can use and modify freely. The company is hoping
> more mobile apps will be developed under webOS by offering it to the
> open-source community.
> 
> - March 21, 2012: HP says it will combine its PC and printers
> businesses. The move will save an unspecified amount of money as the
> company expects improved productivity and efficiency and streamlined
> customer support and supply chain. HP had combined the divisions before,
> but reversed that in 2005 when printers were still thriving.
> 
> :
> 
> Just tapping about in the dark looking for that singular photon of hope
> in regards to VMS, but is the news about WebOS such a photon?

And in other news, the head of Autonomy (which was acquired by HP last 
October for USD 10.3 billion) is leaving.

http://www.cio.co.uk/news/3359709/mike-lynch-leaves-hp-autonomy/?
intcmp=ROSIA3

or 

http://bit.ly/JFzGje

... start quote ---
Whitman cited the difficulties of growing an entrepreneurial company as 
the reason for the decline.

“It is not the product. It’s not the market. It’s not the competition. 
This is classic entrepreneurial company scaling challenges – it’s a whole 
different ball game,” she said.

However, according to sources close to the situation, 20 percent of 
Autonomy management team have left since the HP takeover.'

...


Commenting on Lynch’s departure, TechMarketView's Holway said: “This is 
obviously bad news for Autonomy’s people in Cambridge. In some respects 
it might be good news for Lynch and UK-based software development. We 
fully suspect Lynch will use his vast fortune to produce an Autonomy#2 – 
wherever that might lead. It would undoubtedly be Cambridge-based – 
Lynch’s physical and emotional home.

“As for HP, we shed a tear for this once great company. The list of once 
great companies acquired by HP over the last decade only to disappear 
without trace adds yet another name.”

--- end quote ---

IOW, Autonomy have fared little different from other UK companies which 
have been taken over by large US corporations over the years.  No 
surprises there.

My personal view of Lynch stems from a BBC TV documentary 2 or 3 years 
ago which trued to address regional differences in the UK.  It's one 
thing to promote your own area (Canbridge in Lynch's case), but it's 
quite something else to slag another area off with no sound 
justification.  The man came across as a bigot.

-- 
Paul Sture