With a shareholder vote on the proposed Hewlett-Packard and Compaq merger scheduled to begin March 19, HP CEO Carly Fiorina and other company execs met with securities analysts last week to emphasize the benefits of the deal, reassure IT buyers that important product lines wouldn't be immediately discontinued, and explain how technology is helping prepare for the challenge of bringing the two companies together. Opponents of the deal note that, historically, large mergers in the computing industry rarely work. HP and Compaq executives know this, so they've dedicated 600 employees to making sure this one is the exception to the rule. The group is analyzing possible pitfalls to map out an integration plan. The team is using Web-based collaboration software from eRoom Technology Inc. to record and store data about the integration on topics ranging from corporate branding to enterprise systems, says Webb McKinney, the HP executive overseeing the integration team.
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