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Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE: HPQ) CEO, Mark Hurd, certainly knows how to hit his numbers. But this often means making some extremely tough decisions.
The latest tough decision: HP will lay off 24,600 employees.
The layoffs, which represent 7.7% of HP's workforce, will occur over a three-year period. The key reason is to integrate the massive acquisition of EDS. The restructuring moves are expected to result in annual cost reductions of $1.8 billion or so.
Interestingly enough, about half of the layoffs will come from the US. In the hyper-competitive information technology space, it's often cheaper to send jobs offshore.
For the most part, HP's acquisition of EDS is a smart move. There's a global mega-trend for corporations to off-load their IT services to major players. No doubt, this has been a boon for players like IBM (NYSE: IBM).
So far in today's trading, HP's shares are up 3.84% to $47.07.
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-16-2008 @ 4:55PM
Mike Sanders said...
HP/EDS is going to be a "viper" in the IT/IT-outsorcing arena... IBM got hit pretty squarely by Microsoft, but the "viper" is going to bite IBM's other leg, now. I hate to see this, in a way... We (IT professionals/amateurs) owe IBM a tremendous amount of respect, but respect doesn't butter the bread. I'd like to hear what IBM thinks of the HP/EDS team... I haven't heard boo, from them.
9-16-2008 @ 5:45PM
BlowTheWhistle said...
Oh Pu-leeze!
24,600 layoffs to compensate for the EDS merger!?
Let me put this into some perspective...
The $25B HP-Compaq merger, a very bloody and protracted affair, resulted in an initial lay-off of >30K employees (a small city) and many months of rancor.
Subsequent lay-offs were rampant throughout the 2000-2005, usually in 5K+ increments during the Firorina reign. Hurd comes in and lays off another 15K. Now they have announced that they will lay off 24,600 employees. The EDS merger is only $1.7B and yet the number of jobs being eliminated is almost as many as the Compaq restructuring. So ask yourselves, why!?
Let's face it, HP is and has been over exposed in the EU and Asia markets to keep its revenues up. That worm has turned as we all know. Since HP is a very large ship, it cannot turn on a dime and it is caught in a rapidly changing market (perennially). I put forward that the so-called "EDS restructuring" is PR to mask the fact that HP is losing money in EU/Asia cancellations.
I realize that this market is totally focused on the Financials and AIG but when the dust clears, somebody take a closer look at what's going on with this behemoth. Protect your capital!