HP plucks webOS team out of departing PC division

HP evidently sees a brighter future for its webOS platform after moving the team into the Office of Strategy and Technology (OS&T) as it figures out what to do with the software.

The other half of the business HP acquired from Palm – the hardware element – will continue to reside in its Personal Systems Group that will likely be spun out once the globocorp has considered all the options on the table.

In an internal memo from HP execs that was leaked to precentral.net, PSG chief Todd Bradley said it made sense to rehouse the webOS software engineering, developer relations and product marketing under the wing of OS&T enterprise veep Shane Robison.

"Reorganising the webOS software teams under OS&T allows us to fully investigate how we can utilise the webOS platform. The pan-HP charter of OS&T provides a broad view of how we can optimise our technologies," he said in the note.

This will lift webOS bods out of PSG and will send the platform to the heart of its R&D operation, while the hardware unit remains under the management of Stephen DeWitt.

OS&T is already "incubating" the HP Cloud Services, Vertica and Business Solutions operating divisions, said Bradley, "It is a home of senior technology experts devoted exclusively to exploring longer term strategies for our technologies."

Robison did confirm that although the webOS teams are moving into OS&T, "we have decided not to initiate any integration activities". He added: "These teams will continue to operate under their current systems and processes until further notice." ®