HP - Autonomy deal: Facing up to the risks

20.08.2011
Dramatic changes at HP, including spinning off its PC division and the acquisition of Autonomy, the UK's largest software company, pose potential risks for corporate IT organisations, according to analysts.

Forrester analyst Clarence Villanueva urged sourcing and vendor management professionals "to be vigilant in the face of potential threats posed by the merger".

"If you're in the midst of crafting a PC Refresh RFP, ask how contracts will be maintained going forward," Villanueva wrote.

"If you're a current (or soon-to-be) Autonomy customer, get your licenses in check. From an audit perspective, ensure you're in compliance with your licenses before HP targets you," he added.

Villanueva also suggested that some IT departments may want to snap up discounted HP WebOS tablets, but he warned that with HP ending its TouchPad operations "don't expect that they'll be able to service them (or provide any OS updates) if you have any issues."

For , founder and principal analyst at Constellation Research, HP's purchase of Autonomy is an important step in its evolving software strategy.