HP to spin off PC business to focus on enterprise software - Page 2

Originally Posted by malax

Hmm... I wonder what large market-leading, influential company could be added if HP (or one of the other 30) is moved. That's a tough one.

Originally Posted by yuusharo

Hold on a second. Where did AppleInsider get the idea that HP was killing off WebOS? No other outlet is reporting that, and those claims aren't answered or sourced here.

Jumping the gun much, AI?

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Does "spin off" mean something along the lines of what IBM did with Lenovo? Or does it means something else entirely?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Originally Posted by rp2011

This is bad news for all of us. We need strong competition to drive innovation and competitive pricing. Hopefully the spun off HP can survive and thrive. Or be sold to capable hands.

Originally Posted by island hermit

Web OS is being kept alive but HP will no longer make devices for it. In other words it is at the mercy of other manufacturers who may or may not want to use WebOS.

Originally Posted by Granmastak

Well I suppose best buy will be stuck with them webOS tablets after all!

Originally Posted by solipsism

What does Dell have that Apple could use? From what I can see Apple could follow in Dell's footsteps of making cheap 'PCs' is they chose to. Luckily for us they don't.

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum

Mmmm... I wonder if Jon Rubinstein will be spun-off...

It appears that he already has experienced "Percussive Sublimation".

HP Replaces Jon Rubinstein as Head of webOS

Originally Posted by williamh

Apple could just shut her down, distribute the money to the shareholders.

Originally Posted by drobforever

"HP, a storied Silicon Valley icon that dominates the personal computing industry, announced it will discontinue the WebOS-based "TouchPad" tablet computer and phones, which have failed to catch on with consumers." - Reuters

Originally Posted by macinthe408

I think AI should update their style guide so that the picture of Apple's new "spaceship" is appended to every article, sort of like a halo. The juxtaposition is amplified when the article in question has nothing to do with the new Apple HQ, for example, when talking about the demise of HP's webOS division.

I have provided a sample. Bathe in the magnificent light of my post! Behold the Apple Halo!

Originally Posted by digitalclips

Thank you, I was just about to pose the same question. The webOS part is almost the main news to me, I already knew PCs were over, Steve already told us that

Originally Posted by island hermit

Web OS is being kept alive but HP will no longer make devices for it. In other words it is at the mercy of other manufacturers who may or may not want to use WebOS.

Originally Posted by yuusharo

Hold on a second. Where did AppleInsider get the idea that HP was killing off WebOS? No other outlet is reporting that, and those claims aren't answered or sourced here.

Jumping the gun much, AI?

Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton

It sounds like HP is following IBM in an orderly exit from the hardware business. They're going to do software and services.

Originally Posted by island hermit

I wonder if that HP executive is still heading over to Best Buy to ask them to be patient...

Originally Posted by Granmastak

Actually no.... Google err Google News for webOS and you will find all the major publications reporting on it.

WebOS is dead, touchpad is dead, and after looking at the stock market I'm not feeling great either!

FACTBOX-HP's ten largest deals since 2000

NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co <HPQ.N> is
close to a deal to buy British software company Autonomy
<AUTN.L> for $10 billion, according to two sources familiar
with the company's plans. [ID:nN1E77H131]
A $10 billion deal would be HP's third-largest deal since
2000, according to Thomson Reuters data.
The following are HP's 10 largest deals during that
period.

SIZE
COMPANY ($ MLN) DATE
------------------------------------------------------
Compaq Computer Corp 23,518.4 09/04/01
Electronic Data Systems Corp 13,031.0 05/13/08
Mercury Interactive Corp 4,193.5 07/25/06
3Com Corp 2,716.8 11/11/09
3PAR Inc 1,961.0 08/23/10
Opsware Inc 1,613.5 07/23/07
Palm Inc 1,544.4 04/28/10
Indigo NV 1,449.3 09/07/01
ArcSight Inc 1,418.8 09/13/10
Triaton GmbH 427.1 02/23/04
------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE: Thomson Reuters Deals Intelligence

(Compiled by Michael Erman. Editing by Robert MacMillan)
((Reuters Messaging: michael.erman.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1
646 223 6021))
Keywords: HP AUTONOMY/

Originally Posted by island hermit

Web OS is being kept alive but HP will no longer make devices for it. In other words it is at the mercy of other manufacturers who may or may not want to use WebOS.

Originally Posted by Psych_guy

As many of us predicted, HP fucked up WebOS. HP isn't a software company and had no idea what to do with it. Bummer too because if it gone to the right company it could have given Apple a run for their money. Oh well...

Originally Posted by island hermit

All the publications are not reporting that it is dead. Read what they are saying. HP is keeping WebOS alive but they are killing all devices that use it. (... and, yes, in any sane person's mind that is just as good as dead, but it is not what HP is saying... WebOS lives...).

Originally Posted by yuusharo

Hold on a second. Where did AppleInsider get the idea that HP was killing off WebOS? No other outlet is reporting that, and those claims aren't answered or sourced here.

Jumping the gun much, AI?

Originally Posted by HP Press Statement

In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

Originally Posted by island hermit

Give it time... Google will make an offer to HP for WebOS.

Originally Posted by Granmastak

Well I suppose best buy will be stuck with them webOS tablets after all!

Originally Posted by island hermit

All the publications are not reporting that it is dead. Read what they are saying. HP is keeping WebOS alive but they are killing all devices that use it. (... and, yes, in any sane person's mind that is just as good as dead, but it is not what HP is saying... WebOS lives...).

Originally Posted by jragosta

The answers you've gotten are incomplete. A spin-off is a mechanistic action. Focusing on the results (is it like agilent? Is it like Lenovo?) only confuses the issue.

Specifically, a spin-off occurs when a company restructures operations in such a way that a new entity is created which has its own shares. Specifically, Company A has a subsidiary or division (call it Company B). Company B is wholly part of Company A and the results are reported as part of Company A's results.

Now, Company A spins off Company B. That means that there are now shares in Company B which are tied directly to company B. So, when Company A reports their operating results, Company B is not included.

This can be for any number of reasons. Often, it is done before selling Company B (Lenovo). Or, it can be done to shelter Company A from liability for some reason. Or because Company A thinks that their relationship is holding Company B back from achieving its full potential. Or any number of other reasons.

It becomes more complex than that. When Company A spins off Company B, Company A can sell all of the stock, some of the stock, or none of the stock. So it is entirely possible for Company B to now be an independent company, but still fully owned by Company A (different than a subsidiary because a subsidiary does not have its own stock). The difference is that if Company A owns Company B's stock, the results would now typically (although not always) be reported as investment income rather than operating income.



Not at all. See above. There are plenty of examples where subsidiaries or divisions are spun off without selling the company.

Originally Posted by RichL

A friend of mine works for Autonomy. They're a very smart group of people. I wonder what advantages they get from being bought by HP.

Originally Posted by Granmastak

ZDnet

{Summary: HP drops a bombshellas well as the TouchPad and WebOS.

HP said Thursday that it will discontinue its WebOS operations as the company cut its outlook for the next two quarters.

The company said it *will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. And that WebOS unit will cost HP some dough to discontinue. HP will also spin off its PC unit.}

Unless I have a comprehension problem, which is quite possible, I read that that webOS is dead, only it will take some dough to completely kill it.

Originally Posted by digitalclips

I get a mental image of a disembodied brain in a large glass dome ....

Originally Posted by gctwnl

Just ask the Palm people

Originally Posted by digitalclips

You've got to wonder if there is something about WebOS not being said as of yet such as a major patent problem that HP don't want to fight.

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum

The only thing I'd add is that sometimes the reason for the spin-off is to allow either a) or b) (or both) to go private.

Originally Posted by Granmastak

ZDnet

{Summary: HP drops a bombshell—as well as the TouchPad and WebOS.

HP said Thursday that it will discontinue its WebOS operations as the company cut its outlook for the next two quarters.

The company said it *”will discontinue operations for webOS devices”, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. And that WebOS unit will cost HP some dough to discontinue. HP will also spin off its PC unit.}

Unless I have a comprehension problem, which is quite possible, I read that that webOS is dead, only it will take some dough to completely kill it.