Most consumers know Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) as a manufacturer of PCs and printers. Hewlett-Packard is also one of the largest manufacturers of servers for the enterprise. Sometime ago it acquired EDS, a very large technical services firm. Old timers may recognize EDS as a firm that made Ross Perot a billionaire.
When Hewlett-Packard hired Leo Apotheker as the new CEO, Hewlett-Packard announced that in the future it will emphasize software. Hewlett-Packard purchased Palm, the developer of Web OS.
Hewlett-Packard stock has fallen from a high of $49.39 to a low of under $30.00. One of the problems the company faces is that PCs and printers are low margin commodity businesses.
Full story: Hewlett-Packard: Does a Breakup Loom?