back to article Europe approves HP purchase of EDS

Hewlett-Packard has received the blessings of the European Commission to swallow the computer service giant Electronic Data Systems (EDS) without regulatory fuss. It's also stuffed enough money into the mouths of naysaying investors to get the planned $13.9bn acquisition ready for a shareholder vote. In addition to an EU green …

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  1. Allan Rutland
    Coat

    I wonder...

    how big the box EDS will come in? $14bn must buy a seriously big container!

  2. Les Matthew
    Joke

    @Allan Rutland

    "how big the box EDS will come in? $14bn must buy a seriously big container!"

    With a very small package inside.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    EDSers should run NOW!

    If you work for EDS anywhere, it is time to run, not walk, away. Take this as your early warning indicator...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Re: I wonder

    Never mind the box, I shake at the thought of the bill for the "extended warranty" that HP'll be offered...

    (sorry, memo to self - must stop shopping at certain UK-based tech chains...)

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    about time - it was cruel watching them suffer like that

    so I guess EDS have finished "bestshorring" (best==the cheapest option) all the work that was outsourced to them.

    you can never be disappointed by the quality of service of your subcontractor's subcontractor.

    I guess now we have to blame HP for all the IT government messups and our oyster cards falling over.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    run? two words mate: redundo! redundo!

    shareholders (on both sides) won't be the only saps making money out of this deal, I was going anyway, at least now I'll be getting a big chunk of change before I leg it!

    Paris cos she's in it for the money too.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Yay...redundo here we come....

    Laughing all the way to the bank. I have my shares, and I'm looking forward to the, "here is a sum of money.....now go away" conversation.

    Like many in EDS, I can't wait. Instead of kissing goodbye to years of service, most people I know are waiting for the tap on the shoulder and the cash offer. I would guess that your wouldn't get anyone with any "time" invested in EDS to leave right now without putting a gun to their head. Even then its not going to phase them too much cus EDS has been managing this way since Tricky Dicky Brown came and went.

    It's even better news that all this kicks off at the end of Q4 for HP and rolling into Q4 for EDS. This means that most of us won't have to wait around too long to cash the cheques.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Redundo, if only

    My T&Cs make me far too expensive to be made redundant. Pity really.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Dont go holding your breath

    Talking as one who has been through this.. staturary redundancy limits (which i would not be surprised if those nice chaps from Texas plump to pay) will not buy you much... (9 yrs at £330/yr got me a new TV!)

    anon as those copters are circling!!!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    EDS Employees are Not Immune...

    "Laughing all the way to the bank. I have my shares, and I'm looking forward to the, "here is a sum of money.....now go away" conversation."

    If you are an EDS employee, you have no guarantee of a buyout. A few years ago, EDS was laying-off employees with 20+ years of service providing ZERO severance or buyout. If EDS did it once, they can do it again.

    If you owned EDS stock for a while, you are currently offered maximum $25 per share by HP. When you purchased the stock long time ago, it was probably $80 to $120 per share (cost to you). You have already lost.

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