Hewlett-Packard Becomes Two Companies

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So it finally happened-- Hewlett-Packard officially splits into 2 separate publicly listed companies, consumer-focused HP Inc and the self-descriptive Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

HP GarageThe split was announced little more than a year ago, and was done in the name of creating a pair of "smaller and nimbler" (not to mention more profitable) entities out of the 76-year old giant. HP Inc covers the PC and printer side of the business, while HPE handles enterprise hardware of the servers, networking and storage variety, as well as software and financial services.

"The winners in today's market will be those who apply the power of technology to fuel the power of ideas, and the new HPE is built to accelerate this journey for customers," CEO Meg Whitman says. "HPE has the vision, financial resources and flexibility to help customers win while generating growth and long-term value for our shareholders."

Meanwhile HP Inc promises to "define future markets" through 3D printers and immersive computing platforms, as well as the sale of PCs, printers and copiers.

As Whitman puts it, the split was "a big and complicated separation" involving the creation of two Fortune 50, both with around $57 billion in revenue. Will the company work better with separate higher and lower margin halves though? Predictably, only time will tell, but either way the split marks the end of an era.

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