Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!TMASL.EXXON.COM!FERGUSON
From: FERGUSON@TMASL.EXXON.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: HP Buyout
Message-ID: <8904150151.AA22818@umix.cc.umich.edu>
Date: 14 Apr 89 19:35:00 GMT
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I just had my Dad read me the Wall Street Journal's coverage of the takeover.
Thomas Vanderslice said something to the effect that Apollo is excited
about this whole deal. The HP spokespeople said that 'a wave of happiness
will spread over the installed base of Apollo users'. Supposedly this is
a good thing for all of us.

I talked with my Apollo sales team (they're convincing me to buy a DN10000),
and they gave me the full positive reply. Here's a couple things they
mentioned to me:

      1)  Combining Apollo and HP's installed base and production,
          they have become the world's largest workstation vendor.

      2)  The combination gives Apollo a whole lot more buckaroos
          for R&D, which can't be a bad thing.

      3)  HP Bought Apollo BECAUSE of the existing installed base of
          Apollos, and because of the superior products Apollo has
          created. They're not just going to sink them, but use them
          to get an edge on the other guys.


I do like the idea of the extended research budget, but that could turn into
wishful thinking if they're not careful.

What scares me is that these takeovers/mergers tend to completely disorganize
a corporation, ruining customer support AND innovation. Will HP go and replace
half of Apollo's top management with HP people, leaving a huge sales/support
force angry and un-promoted?

I've done my share of yelling across the net about Apollo's business types,
but at least they know their own company. I'd rather yell at familiar
Apollo businesspeople than unfamiliar HP ones.

I guess a lot of good could come out of this, but so could a lot of greed
and cost-cutting for the sake of a nice profit figure. Let's hope they
do this right.

Scott Ferguson
ferguson@erevax.bitnet

...the views expressed here in no way reflect those of Exxon Research and
Engineering Co.