LinuxWorld: Merger would be a boon to Linux, says Fiorina
Published: 30 Jan 2002 18:12 GMT
Hewlett-Packard's planned merger with Compaq Computer will speed the advancement of the Linux operating system, HP chief executive Carly Fiorina said on Wednesday.
Streamed video: Fiorina says HP merger will help Linux
"This is a combination that's good for Linux," Fiorina told the hundreds gathered in New York for her opening keynote at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo. "We are more powerfully positioned to lead the march in open standards and Linux than either company could on its own."
She also said Linux embodies the same spirit of industry-changing innovation demonstrated by by HP founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard.
Fiorina is the most vocal proponent of the merger, leading a battle against Walter Hewlett, son of HP co-founder Bill Hewlett. Walter Hewlett, an HP board member, argues that the merger would drag down HP's profits.
But Fiorina repeated an argument that companies must be willing to accept change. "The minute you start defending the way things are instead of improving them, you have lost what got you there in the first place," she said.
The merger, announced last September, is intended to make a computing giant that can compete with IBM's Global Services division. HP and Compaq prefer the Intel technology that is sold by many companies to IBM's more proprietary hardware such as mainframes.
Fiorina also encouraged Linux fans not to waste too much energy fighting Microsoft, which is dominant in desktop software but faces much more competition on the powerful networked computers known as servers. Linux, a clone of Unix, is most popular in servers.
Streamed video: Fiorina on the threat Linux poses to Microsoft
"While I know this industry loves a good dogfight -- boy, do I know -- the truth is our collective energy can be put to much better use," Fiorina said.
"The reality is that Microsoft solutions on industry-standard hardware are a mainstay of the industry, especially on the desktop. It will remain a solution," she said. "The question for us is not will Linux dominate the world. The question is what part of the world will Linux dominate?"
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