What company resulted from Hewlett-Packard’s 2002 merger with Compaq?

Hewlett-Packard resulted from the company’s 2002 merger with Compaq, with the combined business retaining the Hewlett-Packard name.

HP announced the transaction in 2001, and shareholders approved it despite strong opposition from several major investors, including Walter Hewlett. The deal brought together HP’s enterprise technology business and Compaq’s personal-computer and server operations. It was one of the most closely watched technology mergers of its era.

The combined company continued selling personal computers, printers, servers, and enterprise technology under the HP name. Compaq became a major product and brand line within HP before the Compaq brand was gradually retired.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is a common source of confusion. It was not the name created by the 2002 merger. HPE was spun off from Hewlett-Packard in 2015, while the remaining personal-systems and printing business became HP Inc.