And how many billions in bonuses/compensation have been paid out to their "elite" management team? 54 billion maybe? At 12:02 PM 5/2/02 -0500, Dave Gudewicz wrote: >Someone reminded me today of a rather large merger that went the wrong way. > >AOL / Time Warner now claiming losses in the $54 billion (yes billion) >range. > >Wonder what the shareholders were told before that merger? > >Dave... > >"Ben Myers" <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message >news:3cd15f69.11242235@news.charter.net... >> Dave, >> >> It was the Spanish philosopher, Santayana, who said: "He who does not >learn from >> history is doomed to repeat it." Actually, he may have said something >quite >> different in Spanish, but that's the way it is usually translated into >English >> (and much the same in Italian, BTW, according to my long-ago colleagues in >> Italy). >> >> A computer industry merger that actually worked? Wow, that's a tough one. >The >> closest I can come are the various buyouts made by Symantec (Peter Norton >> Computing, Central Point Software, and Microsoft (e.g. Bauer's Postscript >clone, >> now named TrueType), and those buyouts were so private that nobody on the >> outside ever got to know the ensuing internal carnage, layoffs, etc. By >what >> criteria does a merger work, anyway? Increased revenue? Level or >increasing >> headcount? Survival of the merged entity for a few years? >> >> Here are a few of the brand names now absorbed into HPaq: Apollo, Tandem, >DEC, >> Compaq, Thomas-Conrad. Any others? >> >> A computer HARDWARE merger that actually worked? I think we're talking >about >> the null set here, not to increase with HPaq... Ben Myers >> >> On Thu, 2 May 2002 10:28:05 -0500, "Dave Gudewicz" ><[log in to unmask]> >> wrote: >> >> >Couldn't help but think after reading Ben's note: >> > >> >If we learn nothing from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Or >something >> >like that. >> > >> >Can anyone here enlighten us with a merger such as this that DID work? >And >> >to reiterate the obvious, the Compaq assimilation of DEC did NOT work. >> > >> >Dave... >> > >> >"Ben Myers" <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message >> >news:3cd14eee.7021958@news.charter.net... >> >> Well, whatever you call the newsletter, it should prove to be an >> >interesting >> >> chronicle of the on-going soap opera of one set of related mergers in >the >> >> computer industry. I lived thru one failed merger on a vastly smaller >> >scale: >> >> Honeywell, GE and Groupe Bull. What always seems to be missing in a >> >merger is a >> >> clear vision and strategic direction, because executives are too busy >> >fighting >> >> for their own corporate lives to think clearly. The blood and carnage >of >> >HPaq >> >> employees will be considerable once the wheels of this merger get >turning. >> >> >> >> ... Ben Myers >> >> >> >> On Wed, 01 May 2002 14:39:39 GMT, "Terry C. Shannon" >> ><[log in to unmask]> >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> >Another year, another name change. We at Shannon Knows DEC, Shannon >Knows >> >> >Distributed Enterprise Computing, Shannon Knows Compaq, and now >Shannon >> >> >Knows HPC are getting used to the good old name game. And we hope that >> >you >> >> >Constant Readers will take the latest name change in stride. Here's >the >> >> >deal: Shannon Knows Compaq has withstood the rigors of two name >changes >> >plus >> >> >the economic angst of the thermonuclear winter incited by a wholesale >> >> >dot-com bombing. Acting on the news yesterday that the Delaware >Chancery >> >> >Court has given Hewlett-Packard's acquisition of Compaq a go-ahead, >SKC >> >has >> >> >changed its name to Shannon Knows High Performance Computing. HP, of >> >course, >> >> >can be construed as High Performance or Hewlett-Packard, which, >> >> >post-acquisition, will be Numero Uno in the High Performance Computing >> >> >arena. In the interest of brevity-plus a desire to coin a new >five-letter >> >> >acronym-we'll now operate under the SKHPC name. Extended "dance >version" >> >> >five-letter acronym aside, we'll continue to provide the same coverage >> >we've >> >> >been dishing out for the last nine years, plus even more. And for >those >> >of >> >> >you who wonder why we didn't opt for Shannon Knows HPS, it turns out >that >> >> >HPS is the acronym for Hewlett Packard Services! Thanks to a senior >> >Compaq >> >> >manager for pointing out this potential gaffe to us! >> >> > >> >> >-- >> >> >Terry C. Shannon >> >> >Consultant and Publisher >> >> >Shannon Knows HPC >> >> >PLEASE NOTE MY *NEW* EMAIL ADDRESS >> >> >email: [log in to unmask] >> >> >Web (info on SKC): www.openvms.org, www.tru64.org >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> > >> > >> > >* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * >* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html * > > John Lee HP Account Executive Vaske Computer Solutions Minneapolis, MN 952-844-0054 We sell, service, support and integrate HP 3000/9000 and related hardware, new and old, since 1988 * To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * * etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *