tdaxp

"Some at H.P. Knew Early of Tactics," by Damon Darlin and Matt Richel, New York Times, 20 September 2006, C1.

Long-time tdaxp readers will note that I was an early nemesis of the executive staff of H.P. Among other things I've accused them of

• cataclysmic disaster


• cobuyitaphilia


• complete failure


• destruction of morale


• disorientation


• foolish pedagogy


• incompetence


• malorientation


• refusing to communicate

and other ills. Like all lovers of sanity, I was delighted when former CEO Carly Fiorina was fired. Yet the epic H.P. spying debacle has shown that Fiorina was just the tip of the ice-berg... and that H.P. wickedness extends all the way to my temporary home of Nebraska.

The disclosure came Tuesday as investigators examined the role of a man in the Omaha area who may have obtained private phone records on Hewlett-Packard's behalf, according to people briefed on the company's review of the operation.

California and federal prosecutors are exploring whether laws were broken in the investigation, particularly in the use of pretexting - a technique in which an investigator masquerades as someone else to obtain that person's calling records from a phone company. The prosecutors are also trying to determine who in the company knew of the possibly illegal activity.

...

The Hewlett-Packard investigations were initiated early in 2005, around the time of Carleton S. Fiorina's ouster as chairwoman and chief executive, and then resumed in January 2006. The two phases -- each initiated after accounts of board members' discussions appeared in news articles -- were code-named Kona I and Kona II, according to several people who saw the company's investigative records. The names are intriguing: Ms. Dunn's vacation home is in Kona, Hawaii.

In addition to Hewlett-Packard directors, nine journalists and two employees, those whose phone records were obtained in the investigation included Larry W. Sonsini, the company's outside counsel, a spokeswoman for his law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, said Tuesday, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that the records of Ms. Fiorina were also scrutinized.

At this is just one of several recent scandals involving Corporate Spying (remember the Sony/EMG's espionage on the Department of Homeland Security?), I wonder what corporate resiliency planners think of this.

And as the HP scandal keeps getting weirder -- they also wanted to subvert newsrooms -- this has implications for political theorists such as Purpleslog and Curtis Gale Weeks.

"HP's Growth Strategy: Acquisition?," by Michael Singer, Internet.com, http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3482386, 10 February 2005.

In a post-Fiorina world, HP (Quote, Chart) said it wants to accelerate its strategy.

What that strategy is, though, has not been exactly clear. Interim CEO Bob Wayman and new chairman Patricia Dunn said they would clarify that point after HP hires a full-time replacement for Carly Fiorina.

Mark Stahlman, managing director of research at investment bank Caris & Company suggests that any growth coming out of HP -- especially for its Rich Digital Media vision -- would more likely involve more acquisitions, as opposed to spending it on research and development or splitting up the company.

HP failed to listen to cobuyitaphobia warnings. A poorly planned merger was a dark cloud that destroyed Fiorina's tenure. And now they want more of it?

"The 'HP Way' is characterized by not having a strategy, Stahlman told internetnews.com. "Yet here we have the board saying here 'we have a strategy, but Carly is not the right person to lead us.'"

HP executives declined to be interviewed for this story.

The story continues, focusing on secondary issues. That Fiorina permanently injured two companies is all but ignored. Too bad.