HP’s CEO Mark Hurd caused some consternation this week when, speaking at a technology summit, he flat-out stated that Hewlett-Packard didn’t buy smartphone maker Palm to get into the smartphone business. The statement caused some gnashing of teeth in the mobile industry, some of whom had been hopeful that HP’s manufacturing might and market presence might be the very platform Palm’s webOS needs to make a major play in the mobile arena.
Now, HP is engaging in a little damage control, saying that the company does plan to offer webOS-based smartphones, but that its vision for webOS is a lot broader than just smartphones—or Palm’s patent portfolio. “We see an array of interconnected devices, including tablets, printers, and of course, smartphones,” HP said in a statement via email. “We believe webOS can become the backbone for many of HP’s small form factor devices, and we expect to expand webOS’s footprint beyond just the smartphone market, all while leveraging our financial strength, scale, and global reach to grow in smartphones.”
HP’s clarification is welcome news for webOS proponents, and re-iterates the company’s intentions to bring webOS to tablet/slate devices as well as printers.
HP is in the process of acquiring Palm in a deal valued at about $1.2 billion. The companies expect the acquisition to be complete by the end of July, 2010.
