New rumor: Oracle about to swoop in and acquire HP

Digital Trends:

Hewlett-Packard’s 20-percent nose-dive in stock price last week has stirred up rumors that Oracle may be considering moving in. The rumors seem to stem from a New York Post article published over the weekend. The Post says HP’s 10 billion dollar decision to buy UK software company Autonomy “puts the world’s largest tech company in a vulnerable position and may make it an Oracle takeover target”. An unnamed source told the Post Oracle’s move would be inevitable if the stock continues its decent, and that Larry Ellison and former HP CEO Mark Hurd are “ready to pounce”. The source pointed out that if HP’s success in spinning its PC business would make Oracle’s takeover all the more easier. After moving in, Oracle would sell of the profitable HP printer business. “Perhaps in three years [the Autonomy acquisition] will turn out to be a smart acquisition. But the reality is in nine months HP will likely be defending itself in an Oracle fight,” the source said. Though it may just be speculation rather than insider knowledge, Wells Fargo analyst Jayson Maynard told Forbes that the deal could be a possibility.

Yes this is a rumor and yes, be very afraid. Oracle has gobbled up more companies than people can remember and when Larry Ellison sets his eyes on a target…well.. Remember PeopleSoft? This is a very interesting time in Technology and we will have to wait and see what happens with Microsoft if this happens…]]>