Also known as "how HP spent its summer vacation." Since August 18th, the company has swapped CEOs, killed webOS' hardware, open sourced the platform, and developed an on-again / off-again relationship with its PC division (current status: together). Along the way the company also lost a few key executives — here's how it all went down!
Turmoil at HP: a CEO shakeup, executive exits, and an open source future for webOS
HP reportedly considering 25,000 job cuts, will begin restructuring in earnest on May 23rd (update 2)
It sounds like the tough times may be continuing for HP — according to Bloomberg, the company is considering laying off approximately 25,000 employees due to declining demand for its computers and services. A layoff of this size would represent a 7.2 percent cut of HP's 349,600 employees. 10,000 to 15,000 of those employees would be cut from HP's enterprise services group, though there's no word on which specific departments would absorb the rest of the layoffs. The exact number of job cuts...
HP Labs head Prith Banerjee becomes latest exec to depart the company
In November 2009, he told Sramana Mitra he had "the most fantastic job in the world," but Prith Banerjee, head of Hewlett-Packard's research division HP Labs, is apparently departing the company. AllThingsD obtained an internal memo from HP CEO Meg Whitman that says Banerjee's last day is April 15th, meaning the former dean of Engineering at the University of Illinois probably won't get to see projects like the memristor and flexible displays commercialized before he leaves.
AllThingsD's...
HP's webOS CTO Sam Greenblatt is out, no word on replacement
As reported on webOS Nation, Sam Greenblatt — CTO of the webOS program inside HP — has transitioned out of that role, though it appears that he won't be leaving HP altogether. HP's released a brief statement on the matter:
Sam Greenblatt is moving from webOS to a new role at HP and will continue to assist the team during the transition. The Open webOS project is on schedule and HP remains committed to the roadmap announced in January.
For a program that's already on shaky ground with no...
HP confirms reorganization, melds printer and PC divisions
HP has just confirmed its rumored reorganization, and will merge its Imaging and Printing Group with its Personal Systems Group (PSG) to make — wait for it — the Printing and Personal Systems Group. Printer boss Vyomesh Joshi will retire, making room for Todd Bradley to head up the new division, after running the PC group since 2005. The move comes after HP notoriously mulled spinning off its PSG last year, but decided to keep it. At the time of the decision to keep PSG in-house, new HP...
HP folding printer group into PC division: AllThingsD
AllThingsD is reporting today that HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) will be sucked into the Personal Systems Group (PSG), with current IPG boss VJ Joshi being shown the door in the process. It's a particularly interesting move considering that PSG was nearly spun off last year, and now it seems that it'll be put in charge of the company's cash cow — a printing division long considering to have a stranglehold on both the consumer printing market and broad swaths of the enterprise...
HP lays off 275 employees from webOS division
We've just received word that HP has laid off more than 270 employees from its webOS division as it "no longer needs many of the engineering and other related positions that it required before." This follows just behind the departure of former webOS head Jon Rubinstein, a restructuring, and a previous round of layoffs in September. We have a full statement from the company below:
As webOS continues the transition from making mobile devices to open source software, it no longer needs many of...
HP to give CEO Meg Whitman $16.5m pay package, if she performs
The AP is reporting that HP has awarded its new CEO Meg Whitman a $16.5 million pay package, but to reap the full amount she'll have to resurrect the company's stock price over the next two years. While performance-based CEO pay packages of this magnitude are not uncommon at Whitman's level, it appears as if HP is dialing back its executive compensation: Whitman's predecessor, Leo Apotheker, floated off the company's payroll with a $25 million cash-and-stock severance package after...
Brian Hernacki, webOS chief architect, leaves HP
The Verge has learned that HP's Brian Hernacki, who most recently has served as chief architect for webOS, has left the company. Though he'd never been a public face of the product the same way big names like Jon Rubinstein or Matias Duarte had been, Hernacki's departure seems to leave another relatively high-profile talent hole in the ranks at a critical time when HP hopes to make the transition to Open webOS over the coming months.
Hernacki had been with Palm since 2009, coming from...
The exit interview with Jon Rubinstein: 'What we accomplished has been amazing'
We just had a chance to speak to departing HP / webOS exec Jon Rubinstein about his time at Palm and HP, and what he plans to do down the road. Jon was already in Mexico taking what seems to be a much needed break from the mad dash that's been his life for the last four years or so. We touch on a wide range of topics, from Jon's thoughts on an open source webOS, his experience with four different CEOs, and his plans for the future (hint, he's not retiring). It's a pretty candid interview, so...
Jon Rubinstein, former Palm CEO, leaves HP
Jon Rubinstein, once a prominent voice in the mobile community as he sought to reinvent Palm, has gone quiet in recent months at HP — and that's not often a good sign for any top-level executive's future prospects. Indeed, Rubinstein has apparently left HP effective immediately, according to a report from AllThingsD. The move isn't a surprise considering how many management shuffles HP has gone through as of late, and Rubinstein has all but disappeared from the webOS landscape in its recent...
Enyo cross-platform apps: hands-on with Flash Cards and Paper Mache on iOS and Android
HP had to kick off its Open webOS 1.0 and Enyo 2.0 announcement with some app examples, right? Two popular webOS developers have just released cross platform versions of their Enyo apps, and they are the only proof you need that these apps are ready to spread their wings beyond the webOS coop.
First up is Ryan Watkin's Paper Mache. The free Instapaper client is now available in the Android Market (although, you need a paid Instapaper account), and while it's got the pane layout that we've...
Open webOS 1.0 announced: HP to complete webOS open sourcing by September, Enyo 1.0 and 2.0 code available today
Following up on its December announcement that it would open source the platform — a last-ditch effort to make it viable — HP has gone into detail today on exactly when and how developers will be getting access to webOS code. The company expects the entire open sourcing process to be complete by September, while Enyo, the application framework that debuted on the TouchPad and underpins webOS 3.0, is available as of today along with related developer tools. When open sourcing is complete,...
HP wanted $1.2b for webOS and other Palm assets, says insider
HP spent $1.2 billion to acquire Palm in 2010 and, according to an insider source, that's exactly how much it was asking when trying to sell off those same assets a year later. That's the word coming from VentureBeat, which also connects this lofty asking price to a rumored meeting between HP and Facebook where the HP negotiators were laughed out of the room, ostensibly due to their high demands.
It was always at least a little curious that HP couldn't find a suitable buyer to purchase its...
HP has no plans for future webOS phones, may build tablets (update)
HP's statement announcing the open-sourcing of webOS skirted the issue of whether the company will produce future hardware for the platform, but the answer could have emerged in its accompanying FAQ. While not completely dismissing the possibility of using webOS again, HP has downgraded it to the same status as "other leading operating systems," meaning that the company isn't likely to develop hardware for it, but will "explore the viability" of doing so. That's probably as close as we're...
webOS being open sourced, says HP
HP has finally decided the fate of webOS today, and it's an open one: the platform will be contributed to the open source community. The company says that it will be an "active participant and investor in the project," and that its ultimate goal here is to accelerate development. In other words, it doesn't want to pump the amount of money into webOS that would be required to make it fully competitive, so it's looking to the public to help make that happen.
As for Enyo — the app framework...
HP's Whitman calls webOS all-hands meeting, has she decided its fate?
PreCentral reports that HP CEO Meg Whitman is calling an all-hands meeting tomorrow, likely to decide the fate of webOS. On November 8th, Whitman promised a decision on the fated mobile operating system within three to four weeks, and it's been over a month today. Perhaps HP will finally dump its multi-billion-dollar money sink, or perhaps the company will finally give it the reprieve it needs to succeed. Or, perhaps we'll hear Whitman say that a true decision will take another couple of...
Meg Whitman promises webOS decision in two weeks
In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Meg Whitman teased a decision about the fate of webOS once again: this time she says there should be a verdict in two weeks. Early this month she said a decision would be made "in the next three to four weeks," so this gives her a bit more breathing room. Still, the mobile operating system has been in its death throes since August, and there's little comfort to be found in Whitman taking her time. Meg admits that this is rough on the 600 or...
HP's sale of webOS may hinge on the company licensing it back for use in printers
The past year and a half has been quite the roller coaster for the team at HP, and now that we're nearing the conclusion of the ride, there's one final hurdle to overcome: deciding what to do with webOS. VentureBeat, citing sources intimate with HP's negotiations to offload its Palm assets, reports that the company wants to be able to license webOS back for use in printers — it wants it so much, in fact, that the issue has become "a crucial part" of discussions. It should come as no...
HP wasted billions on Palm and webOS
HP just reported its Q4 2011 financial results, and although the company managed an overall profit, the real news is in the webOS numbers: HP spent a big chunk of $3.3 billion this year killing the webOS group and absorbing Palm's falling value. Considering the $1.2 billion HP spent on Palm in the first place, and it's clear that HP's blown through at least a couple billion in its failed webOS experiment — an experiment that's still awaiting a final resolution from new CEO Meg Whitman,...
Exclusive: HP's Meg Whitman on webOS 'it's not obvious exactly what to do here'
HP CEO Meg Whitman just told a room full of Palm and HP employees that the company doesn't yet know what to do with webOS. "It's really important to me to make the right decision, not the fast decision," she told those gathered with her on the HP campus, adding that a decision would come in the next three to four weeks. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as reports recently swirled that the computer-maker has been in discussions to sell off the troubled mobile platform to the highest...
Exclusive: HP to hold all-hands meeting tonight, fate of webOS likely to be decided
Word has made its way to us through multiple sources that HP plans to hold an all-hands meeting tonight — led by Meg Whitman — on which we'll likely hear what is going to happen with webOS. It should be noted that the call will take place around 4:30PM PT, after markets have closed here in the US.
As Reuters reported yesterday, the computer-maker has been looking to sell off the ailing mobile platform division, eyeing partners like IBM, Oracle, and RIM as potential places to offload P...
HP might sell webOS for 'hundreds of millions of dollars,' says Reuters
No hard details yet, but Reuters is reporting the HP is considering the sale of its webOS unit for "hundreds of millions of dollars," or far less than the $1.2 billion dollars it paid for Palm just over a year ago. The move comes as new CEO Meg Whitman cleans house at HP in an effort to refocus the company; she promised a swift decision about webOS last month after announcing that HP would cancel a planned spinoff of its PC division and keep it in-house.
Reuters claims to have four...
HP's Phil McKinney retires
HP is keeping its PC division, but all the Pavilion desktops in the world can't seem to block the exit doors. Just one week after webOS developer Richard Kerris leaves the company (he's now working for Nokia), HP's Personal Systems Group CTO Phil McKinney has announced his retirement. In his goodbye letter, he makes it very clear that it's not a "traditional retirement" — meaning, he'll be publishing a book, blogging, podcasting, and if we had to venture a guess, eventually winding up at...
HP to keep PC division
Meg Whitman promised to make a decision about selling or spinning off HP's PC division by the end of the month (and HP's own fiscal fourth quarter), and she's beat her own deadline: the company just announced that it will keep the Personal Systems Group after all. After conducting a strategic review and concluding that the costs to recreate PSG in a standalone company would outweigh the benefits, Whitman says "HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger." Funny how keeping the...
Whitman: HP will be in the tablet business with Windows 8, long term decision about webOS coming
Brand new HP CEO Meg Whitman announced a final decision to keep the company's PC division today, however, she also shared a bit about HP's tablet and webOS plans. When asked about HP's tablet strategy on the analyst call, she said that HP's continuing to focus on a Microsoft-based tablet and Windows 8 for that category. Todd Bradley followed that sentiment later on in the call by adding that he isn't deterred by Apple or Android devices: "we're at the beginning stages of a new segment. I...
Former webOS developer head Richard Kerris heads to Nokia
And the tech industry's revolving door keeps on turning. Former webOS developer relations lead Richard Kerris left HP last week (after only nine months on the job) with a new home on the horizon — Nokia. Earlier this morning Nokia's SVP of Development Marco Argenti tweeted that he was happy to announce that Kerris would be joining his team as Global Head of Developer Relations. Seems like a good time for Kerris to be joining the fold, at least considering the Windows Phone momentum out...
Leo Apotheker's last memo to HP employees
Leo Apotheker may not be the CEO of Hewlett-Packard anymore -- Meg Whitman took his place this afternoon -- but the former chief executive didn't head out the door without sending one last memorandum to his employees. We just got sent the full text of that document, and are printing it after the break without commentary.
TO/ All HP Employees
FROM/ Léo ApothekerDear HP Employees:
This afternoon, HP issued a press release announcing my resignation as president and CEO, positions I have held...
HP still considering PSG spinoff, but continuing to invest in webOS and PCs
With former HP CEO Leo Apotheker out of the picture, Meg Whitman is stepping up to the plate -- but the newly affirmed chief executive will follow Apotheker's lead on webOS and PCs. Whitman mentioned both by name during a call this afternoon, as part of a long list of businesses that she says HP will continue to invest in. That's not a reprieve for webOS or Windows consumer hardware, though, because she added that the Personal Systems Group is still likely going to go, with the board of...
Report: Meg Whitman could be appointed HP CEO today
According to an exclusive report by All Things D's Kara Swisher, those rumors about HP's CEO Leo Apotheker being replaced by former eBay honcho (and failed gubernatorial candidate) Meg Whitman are about to become reality.
In the article, Swisher speculates that the ailing company's board will vote on the move today and announce after the market closes this evening. This news comes on the heels of a New York Times story which suggests Hewlett-Packard's board appointed Apotheker without ever...
HP considering firing CEO Leo Apotheker, says Bloomberg
Things haven't been going well for HP since CEO Leo Apotheker announced that he would either spin off or sell the company's PC division and shut down webOS hardware development as he refocused on enterprise software, and now Bloomberg and All Things D are both reporting that the company's board is meeting to discuss removing Apotheker from the helm entirely. His potential replacement? Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who currently sits on HP's board. The move is said to be far from final, with...
HP TouchPad 4G, Pre 3 for AT&T and Verizon all hit eBay (update: Pre 3s sold)
Any hope that HP might yet have the compassion to sell a few unlocked Pre 3s in the US appears to be dead at this point, and that means jilted would-be buyers need to be looking at alternative channels to get their fix. Well, there's a small opportunity this evening by way of eBay, where AT&T and Verizon versions of the phone -- both of which were expected launch carriers -- are now on sale for $599.99 and $750, respectively. It's unclear where the phones came from or how they found their way...
HP splits webOS GBU: keeps software, leaves hardware with PSG
For the second time in its long and tumultuous history, Palm -- or as it's known now, the webOS Global Business Unit -- has been split in two. PreCentral has two memos detailing how the hardware and software portions of webOS are being separated. The software side of webOS is getting pulled out of the Personal Systems Group and moved into HP's "Office of Strategy and Technology." That essentially means that HP is going to hang on to webOS (and, presumably, Palm's valuable patents) after the...
HP producing 'one last run of TouchPads;' availability still unclear
HP is still struggling with the overwhelming demand generated from its $99 TouchPad fire sale earlier this month. In an update to an existing blog post, the company has announced that it is going to manufacture a few more TouchPads, though they won't be available for "a few weeks:"
Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many...
Pre 3 not coming to US; deep discounts in Europe
There's been one big question looming during the TouchPad fire sale madness that ensued after HP announced it is killing webOS hardware: what about the Pre 3? That question appears to have been answered by two reports indicating that HP will only release the phone in limited markets -- more specifically Europe. The good news for Europeans is that the price should shake out to around $75 US. The bad news for US citizens is that HP won't release the phone in the US. Potential US importers take...
HP drops TouchPad price like a stone, find one this weekend for $99 (update: get one now)
When HP said it would kill off the TouchPad in Q4, there was some confusion about which Q4 it meant -- would the company attempt to sell the fated tablet for several more months, or drop it cold turkey? We think the image above says it all. PreCentral discovered that HP intends to cut the price of the tablet by up to $350 this weekend, at least in Canada. You can actually order a 16GB TouchPad right now from FutureShop for $99.99, or a 32GB model for a cool $150. (Best Buy Canada lists the...
HP failed webOS; what's next for the platform?
Today's bombshell announcement that HP will cease making webOS hardware came like a bolt from the blue, but in truth HP has been failing to execute on webOS since the company acquired Palm.
How did HP fail so badly with webOS hardware? What will the future hold? We know the answer to the first, the second we have only informed speculation. Read on for both.
A bad year
The present situation for webOS is a far cry from the excitement that HP managed to drum up at its Think Beyond event last...
Why HP killed its webOS devices
Cathie Lesjak, HP CFO, just gave us the detail behind HP's reasoning to shut down its webOS hardware operations. To put it simply, the TouchPad and webOS devices failed to meet HP's financial targets and unit sell-through expectations. And HP failed to "position webOS as the clear number two platform for tablets." According to Cathie, HP's "bet on webOS" would result in an even larger loss in Q4 if the company continued business as usual, even after dropping the TouchPad's price by $100....
HP: 'We are not walking away from webOS;' exclusive details from inside
An insider has given us details from an all-hands meeting HP just held with employees in the webOS Global Business Unit in light of today's announcement that HP will no longer make webOS devices. In the meeting, webOS GBU VP Stephen DeWitt made it clear that HP intends to continue to work on webOS and likely intends to license it. DeWitt was adamant, saying several times "We are not walking away from webOS." He detailed a plan to try to determine what the platform's future will look like...
HP webOS devices (TouchPad, Veer, and Pre series) to be killed in Q4 2011
In the company's earnings call today, HP CEO Leo Apotheker just announced that its shutdown of the webOS hardware business -- covering the Veer, TouchPad, and Pre series -- will wind down in the fourth quarter of the year. He didn't specify on the call whether he meant calendar Q4 or fiscal Q4, which makes a bit of a difference: fiscal Q4 would end next month, whereas calendar Q4 ends in over four. He also hasn't said whether this'll allow for full-fledged launches (or launches, period) of...
HP kills TouchPad and webOS phones, looks to unload PC business
Just 16 months after announcing the acquisition of Palm, HP has said today that it will "discontinue operations for webOS devices," saying that the units (presumably the TouchPad, Pre series, and Veer) have "not met internal milestones and financial targets." What this means for existing stock of the slow-selling TouchPad and the brand new Pre 3 is unclear, but the company does say that it will "continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward" -- not exactly...
HP spinning off PC business, Bloomberg reports
Bloomberg is quoting "people with direct knowledge of the matter" today as saying that HP is set to acquire enterprise software vendor Autonomy for a cool $10 billion -- but the far more interesting bit of the rumor is that it'll also be spinning off its PC business into a separate entity. The move would echo the metamorphosis that IBM has undergone in the past decade, converting itself from a huge, lethargic bellwether of the personal computing industry to a profitable enterprise software...
