HP is expected to announce that it will split into two separate companies: one consisting of the PC and printer business; and the other consisting of its business-oriented hardware and software operations.
The announcement is expected later today.
The move is one that has been bandied about for some time – and previous CEO Leo Aphotheker planned to sell off the PC and printer business – but current CEO Meg Whitman (pictured) had been determined to keep all of the business units under one company.
Whitman is on record as says that printer sales are the lifeblood of the company, and part of its attractiveness is the breadth and depth of its offerings.
It is expected that Whitman would become chairman of the PC and printer business, and HP executive Dion Weisler as the CEO.
Whitman is tipped to become CEO of the company that includes software and such business hardware as networking routers and data-storage devices; with HP director Patricia Russo being named chairman of the enterprise
hardware and software company.
Analysts close to the company believe that PC and printer company would be called HP Inc, with the enterprise company taking the name Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
HP was founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard.