Hewlett-Packard Co has reportedly been circulating a memo advising its staff that its top eight senior managers are coming up for retirement in the foreseeable future, and there are fears of staff cuts throughout its Computer Systems Division. As a first step in a radical restructuring of its business, the company late Friday announced that it was splitting the US computer business in two, and combining manufacturing and sales in each of the two new units. The two are the Computer Systems Organisation for workstations and multi-user systems, and the Computer Products Organisation for the company’s personal computer, retail printer and OEM disk drive businesses. A new test and measurement organisation was also formed to lead activities of its Electronic Instruments Group and Microwave and Communications Group. Management was bolstered with the creation of a chief executive office made up of president John Young and Dean Morton, executive vice-president and chief operating officer. Executive vice-president Lewis Platt heads the workstation arm and Richard Hackborn, a vice-president, will head the low-end computer and peripherals business. The international organisation is unaffected by the US changes.
