Ex-IBMer Moffat gets jail time

Ex-IBM exec Bob Moffat is going to jail for six months.

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HP spending spree continues

Hewlett-Packard is reportedly poised to buy ArcSight for about $1.5 billion. The Wall Street Journal  and others reported Sunday that a deal is near.  (Update: The deal is now official, according to a post to the HP Website.)

ArcSight, which makes security software that monitors computer networks for unusual activity, had been shopping itself around, looking for $42 per share. Its stock was trading for just over $35 on Friday.

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Getting a grip on your customers’ infrastructure = one step to building recurring revenue

Back in April, I wrote about how some technology solution providers are using various asset management portals to manage their customers’ service contracts and warranties and when stuff is up for renewal. The idea is to get a deeper peek into everything that might be part of their clients’ technology infrastructure — not just the stuff that the VAR itself might handle. This insight might be used toward future sales. At least that’s the theories.

One of the asset management portal tools and services companies that I included in that story, Managed Maintenance Inc., has just released a new product called IMSelect. The idea behind the IMSelect solution is to help VARs, resellers, MSPS and other members of the value-added channel help their customers attack investment management more methodically on an ongoing basis. IMSelect includes both the company’s portal management tool along with a dedicated “contract specialist” who helps the technology solution provider proactively manage contracts and figure out what might need attention.

I happen to know that the folks who created the service and solution have a whole bunch of background with IBM products, so that’s the initial focus for its partner relationships. But IMSelect certainly isn’t limited to IBM technology. And, as my original story indicates, tools like these could help with the ultimate holy grail for many IT solution providers: building a steady monthly, recurring revenue stream.

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CompTIA gets all diplomatic

I guess CompTIA, the high-tech industry association, is getting pretty serious about recruitment. The organization has appointed close to 50 members as “ambassadors” who are charged with improving its engagement with members and potential members throughout the industry. You even get your own personalized “ambassador” logo on your business card!

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Ellison to HP: Nyah nyah nyah

Once again Larry Ellison is weighing in on Hewlett-Packard’s boardroom moves. This time though, he has a real vested interest.

In response to a civil suit HP launched against Mark Hurd, the former HP CEO who is joining Oracle as co-president and director, Ellison issued the following statement:

“Oracle has long viewed HP as an important partner. By filing this vindictive lawsuit against Oracle and Mark Hurd, the HP board is acting with utter disregard for that partnership,our joint customers, and their own shareholders and employees.  The HP board is making it virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate and work together in the IT marketplace.”   

 

This soap opera unfolds just a week before Oracle OpenWorld opens its doors in San Francisco. Oddly enough, Mark Hurd–as CEO of HP–was slated to keynote already. Now it’s safe to say he will keynote, but as an Oracle insider.

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HP sues Hurd

Breaking up is hard to do.

Within a day of the news that former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd is joining Oracle as co-president, HP says it’s going to sue the SOB.

The lawsuit was previewed on an HP blog.  Full text here.

Oracle, now home to Sun Microsystems hardware arsenal, is now a direct rival to erstwhile partner HP and the HP board is clearly angry that Hurd took tens of millions in HP severance money and moved up 101 to Oracle’s glass towers in Redwood Shores.

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Phillips’ Oracle exit not a surprise to some

Charles Phillips, who just resigned as co-president of Oracle,  helped that software giant acquire and integrate a whole lotta companies from PeopleSoft to Siebel to BEA to Sun Microsystems. He weathered an embarrassing scandal when his extramarital affair was outed –not just outed but OUTED  on gigantic Times Square billboards.

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Hurd in, Phillips out at Oracle

A month after his ouster as Hewlett-Packard CEO, Mark Hurd has a new job–president of Oracle. Rather co-president of Oracle with Safra Catz.

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Mark Hurd heads to Oracle?

Here’s one you had to see coming.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd is talking to Oracle about his next job, according to the Wall Street Journal citing “people familiar with the matter.” Continued »

By ‘winning’ 3Par, does HP lose the game?

Our national nightmare is over. Dell has given up its bid for 3Par, declining to match or exceed Hewlett-Packard’s latest $33/share (that’s–gulp– $2.1 billion) cash bid.

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