HP CEO Whitman tries to reassure users as cuts loom
- 18 June, 2012 10:06
- Comments
As HP CEO Meg Whitman took the stage at this month's HP Discover conference in Las Vegas, the thousands sitting in the cavernous hall applauded politely -- and then stopped.
It was Whitman's first appearance at this conference. She faced an audience of people who run systems that make sure airplanes fly on time and banking systems never fail.
Typically, attendees at HP Discover conferences are after the latest product information or want to see how their peers are handling problems similar to their own. But these days, they have more on their minds. They want to know what changes are in store as HP plans to cut 27,000 jobs, or about 8% of its workforce, over the next two years. They also have questions about the Itanium chip, which is the subject of a lawsuit.
One IT manager, who didn't want his name used, said HP has assigned about 45 people to provide sales and technical support to his company. One of the things he wanted to accomplish at the conference was to find out about the "continuity of the technical support" in the wake of the layoffs. He learned that around 25% of the HP staffers assigned to his company might "turn over," or be affected by the layoff in some way.
Whitman, who took the CEO job last September after her predecessor, Leo Apotheker, was shown the door, tried to reassure HP's customer base. "The kind of turmoil that HP has had at the top of the company can take a toll on companies, employees, shareholders," she said. "But I've been surprised at the resilience of HP people."
Leon Arens, another attendee, runs HP NonStop systems at a financial services firm. The fault-tolerant systems use the embattled Itanium chip, and he said that's a bigger concern than the layoffs. There's "too much" on that platform that's mission-critical, and swapping it out even five years from now "would be crazy," he said.
This version of this story was originally published in Computerworld's print edition. It was adapted from an article that appeared earlier on Computerworld.com.
Read more about government/industries in Computerworld's Government/Industries Topic Center.
Recommended
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
- Bookmark this page
- Share this article
- Got more on this story? Email CIO
- Follow CIO on twitter
-
Australia Post’s mail business to lose $200 million this year
-
Australia Post’s mail business to lose $200 million this year
-
Microsoft's ambivalence about Office on the Web gives Apple shot with iWork on iCloud
-
3 Lessons Learned From a Failed Customer Feedback Test
-
Online shopping reaches mainstream status
-
Android Malware Exposed
Take an in-depth look at the evolution of android malware. The world of malware targeting the Android OS is similar yet very different from malware affecting Windows. Explore the rapidly evolving world of android malware and shed light on the various techniques used to exploit devices using this OS. -
St. Vincent’s Hospital - Finding Visibility, Flexibility and Control with MaaS360
St. Vincent’s Hospital in Australia offers best-in-class services, facilities, and expertise, along with educational opportunities to the residents of the greater Sydney area and NSW. They faced a challenge of meeting the demand to deliver Apps on mobile devices while maintaining the security of patient data. Download now to find out the solution they deployed. -
Clearing the Clouds for Midmarket Businesses
Cloud computing promises to help midmarket companies reduce cost and complexity in the IT equation – and gain the flexibility and agility they need to thrive. Yet charting a clear course to the cloud isn’t always easy. In this paper, we aim to clear the clouds. We examine different cloud computing models, discuss the types of requirements that each can best address, and consider what midmarket businesses should look for in a cloud solutions provider.
Get exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis. 
