Culture Clash: Can Hewlett-Packard Really Integrate PricewaterhouseCoopers?
For Hewlett-Packard, the logic of acquiring PricewaterhouseCoopers massive consulting business is clear. Corporate customers in the Internet economy need integrated packages of hardware, software, consulting, and support services; they don’t have time to figure out the best systems and pull everything together themselves. IBM’s transformation into a “solutions” provider is the envy of the industry. Hardware, software, and telecom competitors such as Compaq, Microsoft, Sun, Cisco, Lucent and many others are racing to beef up their services offerings in similar fashion, through a dizzying array of acquisitions, partnerships, and reorganizations. But HP has never been able to fully make the transition from hardware to service provider, despite a number of attempts in recent years. Grabbing a 30,000 strong army of consultants with mega-clients around the globe could put HP into the top tier of technology and e-business services providers in one fell swoop. The Securities and Exchange Commi
