The head of HP's Personal Systems Group is jolly pleased that HP will not be trying to sell his division off. Paul Hunter, Head of HP PSG UK and Ireland said that he was confident of our ability to thrive and grow should the business be spun out into a separate company or even sold.

But he was pleased the division will remain closely integrated. Hunter said that the division had undergone a robust, and at times very public, audit which could only make us fitter and stronger. HP decided to reverse a plan, touted by its former CEO Leo Apothiker to flog off the hardware division and turn the company into a business software outfit like his former company SAP. Cynics claimed that Apothiker, who was a software bloke, did not really know how to deal with hardware so he thought flogging it would be easier than learning.

Hunter said that HP's strength comes from being together. “Looking at the results over the related period for the PSG business, we have performed well. Market share has remained remarkably resilient. We are in a strong position and are striving to increase the gap on our competition,” he said.