Talk about companies heading in different directions. I read this week that Microsoft and Google are suing each other over who gets to keep a particular employee on the payroll. At the same time, HP has laid off Alan Kay. Yeah, that Alan Kay. Chances are he’ll be able to get a job at Microsoft or Google.
This may sound very cynical[1], but good for him. The HP that he worked at for so many years is dead. The HP Way which has been on life support for a number of years, has finally had it’s plug pulled. HP does need guys like him anymore. They are content to play the margins game against Dell and the consulting game against IBM. They have no need for people with ideas. They have a plan and that is to try and answer what someone else does.
He needs to go to an innovator, and yes, Microsoft is in that group.
[1] Full disclosure: I have an uncle that works at HP (for now at least) and I worked there for a year while perusing a masters in CSCI.