Major Points
The Hewlett-Packard and Compaq merger decision case study provided many points necessary in the understanding of why these two companies would undergo a risky business venture. Compaq was a company that began successfully with record setting financial statements, but in an attempt to expand its market, threatened company stability. With the acquisition of Tandem Computer and Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq experienced decreased revenues resulting in their inability to fully recover. In a competitive information technology market, HP was one of the industry leaders. Due to a failure to be proactive to market changes, HP grew stagnant and looked to reinvent company strategies through newly appointed President/CEO Carly Fiorina. Competitive advantages for both HP and Compaq included imaging and printing segment and high performance PC technology respectively.
Management’s reasons for the merger included their assumption that together, HP and Compaq would be able to replicate and overtake competitors. Oppositions to the merger included a decrease in shareholder interests, a reduction of focus for company core competencies, and an unprofitable future. Several financial advisors and industry analysts were in agreement that the proposed merger would not be in the best interests of either company. Despite the uncertainties, information gathered and forecasts projected were in favor of the merger, which resulted in shareholder approval and the merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer.
SWOT Analysis
In researching Hewlett-Packard’s present-day company position, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted. Strengths found include HP’s strong market position internationally and on the domestic end, a successful growth throughout large acquisitions, and a considerable brand value. HP currently has a 28.6% market share in the United States of America