By design or by chance, HP is poised to become the world’s most complete supplier of end to end IT infrastructure and business software. The addition of 3Par and Palm extends the firm’s range from high-end storage solutions down to a complete line of handhelds and smart phones. What is missing is software to tie it all together. We thought it would be fun to guess who might be next on HP’s M&A agenda. Before we go share our predictions, let’s put this in context by looking at a graphical illustration of HP’s recent M&A activity.
SAP
There is an elephant in the room. As HP contends with public relations fallout from previous CEO Mark Hurd and first quarter drops in two of its largest divisions, New CEO Léo Apotheker needs some success. His previous firm, SAP, could be a very good acquisition for HP for the following five reasons.
Leadership: Before Apotheker was CEO at HP, he was forced out as SAP’s CEO. He is intimately familiar with the synergies between the two firms. In addition, there is always the allure of a little payback.
Oracle: The HP-Oracle relationship has deteriorated steadily since Oracle’s acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2009. Oracle hired Hurd after his release from HP; HP responded in court. Although the two firms reaffirmed a commitment to a long-term partnership via joint press releases in September 2010,
http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/enterprise/hp-mergers-acquisitions-who-is-next-1031401/
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