WebOS: Redundancies at HP

Since HP will only continue to provide minimum support to their mobile WebOS platform, the first redundancies have already been announced.

HP’s abandoning of the WebOS mobile platform in mobile and roaming products, only a year after acquiring it, has led to the separation of hardware components and software, with the first group to remain within the PSG division (Personal Systems Group), which will be spun off as an independent company, while the second has been integrated into a different branch at HP.

The American group will keep the software components for future projects outside mobility, but will be separating itself from the manufacturing of devices, with this causing the first wave of redundancies.



No miracle for WebOS
More than 500 employees will be pushed out the door according to unofficial reports. The American group has confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that a redundancy phase has begun but details about the number of employees affected is yet to be released.

They indicate that this initiative is the consequence of stopping the development of their WebOS devices by the end of financial year 2011, with this corresponding to the end of October 2011. HP has stated that they will be looking into new opportunities for WebOS, although they haven’t provided any details about what these could be (licensing, presence in different segments...).

It should be noted that a shareholder has filed a complaint against CEO Leo Apotheker and the financial director for hiding the evolution of the company which has led the to the surprise announcements that WebOS would be abandoned in mid-August.