HP/Compaq: Behind The Merger

• In September 2000, HP made a bid to acquire PricewaterhouseCoopers' consulting arm for $18 billion. HP later lowered its bid and then dropped the deal entirely. IBM eventually purchased PwC's consulting business in 2002 for $3.5 billion.
• In April 2001, Compaq announced an agreement to purchase Proxicom for $266 million. One month later, however, Dimension Data offered a higher price.
• In July 2001, HP formed an agreement to acquire the technology services division of Comdisco VB42, which declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy the same day, for $610 million. A few months later, SunGuard Data Systems outbid HP and agreed to buy the IT-services unit for $825 million. HP upped its bid to $750 million and won back the deal--only to lose it weeks later when the courts gave SunGuard permission to acquire the Comdisco division.