Jim,
I believe that CPQ does have a substantial R&D program. Don't remember the exact figures, but think that R&D expenditures for the past year approach $1.5 billion, though how much was CPQ, TDM, or DEC, I don't know. And of course, I have no way to guess how much of that is being spent on planning and executing the mergers, as opposed to technical development.
However, the combination of Compaq and Tandem frequently has patents awarded in the same news from which I pull the DELL patent info, even though CPQ does not have a major presence in Austin. I am not knowledgeable enough to state how large or how effective their R&D program is, but I would urge a bit of caution if one is inclined to dismiss it out of hand--just as I do for DELL. There's more to a grapefruit than the skin. <g>
Regards, 3. |
