Cyberproblem

Mergers - The Life of Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard's roots can be traced back to Stanford University, where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard graduated in 1934 (in electrical engineering). Encouragement from Stanford professor and mentor Fred Terman led the two men to decide to start a business "and make a run for it" themselves. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard began part-time work in the Packard's garage with $538 in working capital (cash and a used Sears-Roebuck drill press). Their first product was the resistance-capacity audio oscillator (HP 200A), an electronic instrument used to test sound equipment. They gave it the model name HP 200A, to give the impression the company had been around for awhile. When the formal partnership was established in 1939, the name of the company was settled with a coin toss.

From these humble beginnings, Hewlett-Packard grew to become one of the largest companies in the world, and leader in technological innovation. This cyberproblem seeks to trace out Hewlett-Packard's history encompassing many of the concepts presented throughout this textbook, leading up to its 2002 merger with Compaq. The first few questions use Hewlett-Packard's "History & Facts", which can be accessed from Hewlett-Packard's "About Us" Web page, http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/. With the last series of questions concerning the merger with Compaq.

1. Who was Hewlett-Packard's first big customer, and what did they purchase from HP?
   
   
2. How did HP incorporate profit-sharing and social responsibility in its company?
   
   
3. What did Dave Packard call the management technique he used?
   
   
4. When did HP become a publicly traded company, and how were the employees involved?
   
   
5. When was HP's first acquisition? Who was the target, and how did the firm act to insure that its flexibility would not be compromised by this acquisition?
   
   
6. What events did Bill Hewlett see as the open-door to getting involved internationally?
   
   
7. What was HP's first joint venture?
   
   
8. What program did HP instituted to help employees balance work with their personal lives?
   
   
9. When was HP's merger with Compaq announced?
   
   
10. From HP's investor relations site, http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/investor/index.htm, access HP's 2001 annual report. In the Letter to Shareholders, what critical factors for successful merger execution are identified by current HP CEO Carleton Fiorina?
    
    
11. What past experiences are HP likely to draw upon for moving ahead with this merger integration?
    
    
12. Once this merger integration is completely finalized, how will HP fit into the industry landscape?