Compaq Computer Corporation

20555 SH 249
Houston, Texas 77070
U.S.A.
(713) 370-0670
Fax: (713) 374-1740

Public Company
Incorporated: 1982
Employees: 10,000
Sales: $3.27 billion
Stock Exchanges: New York

Compaq Computer Corporation is a leader in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of portable, desktop, laptop, and personal computer systems for business and professional users. Since its founding in Houston in 1982, the company has set many United States business records. In its first full year of operation, for example, Compaq reached $111.2 million in revenues, the most successful first year of sales for a United States company. In 1986 Compaq was the first company to achieve Fortune 500 status in fewer than four years.

When International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) introduced its first personal computer (PC) in 1982, Compaq was among dozens of other companies entering the market with IBM look-alikes—computers that look and perform like IBM PCs, but are less expensive. Compaq set itself apart from other look-alike manufacturers by becoming an innovator itself, producing IBM-compatible PCs that were faster, superior in quality, and offered additional user features. Compaq’s management team also set the company apart from others in the PC industry. Made up of seasoned professionals from Texas Instruments (TI) and IBM, their prior experience in the volatile computer industry gave Compaq the tools necessary to survive through a period of phenomenal growth in 1983. Compaq’s staff also had the technical and business grounding to establish new industry standards on its own—without following IBM.

Compaq’s beginning was in the summer of 1981, when Joseph R. “Rod” Canion, James M. Harris, and William H. Murto, three senior managers from TI, decided to start their own company. They had not yet determined what their company would produce and market; managing a Mexican restaurant or manufacturing storage devices for minicomputers or beeping devices for finding misplaced items were among their original ideas. The entrepreneurs eventually decided to build a portable PC that met industry standards set by IBM. With only $1,000 each to invest in their company, Canion, Harris, and Murto approached Ben Rosen, president of Sevin-Rosen Partners, a high-technology venture capital firm in Houston. Rosen, who became Compaq’s chairman, offered an initial investment of $2.5 million.

Compaq was established just after an era in which PC entrepreneurs had proliferated. The technological breakthrough of the microprocessor—an extraordinarily powerful semiconductor chip—enabled smaller computers to be built that were also faster, less expensive, and easier to use. Because the much-less-expensive microprocessor miniaturized computers, the demand for PCs increased, and development costs decreased significantly. As a result, many PC companies were established. While these early companies were successful in technological leadership and had a flair for marketing, deficiencies in inventory management and quality control eventually led many of them to fail. When Compaq arrived on the scene, venture capitalists were beginning to force many entrepreneurs to turn over control of their companies to more experienced management professionals. As Rosen—who had lost a $400,000 investment in another PC start-up—explained in Management Today in 1985, “In the early days, it was an area for flamboyant people ... who transformed their personalities into companies. Now the business requires a very different kind of manager. It has become a very unforgiving industry.”

Unlike most new PC companies, Compaq’s management had the benefit of the experience of longtime professionals. Prior to joining Compaq, each of its original 20 employees had worked in the computer industry for 15 to 20 years. Their experience in management and engineering at such companies as TI and IBM—two pioneers in the industry— provided Compaq with a solid foundation. Compaq’s management style was of the kind that was scorned by early iconoclastic PC entrepreneurs. Compaq made decisions by a consensus approach, which allowed every division of the company a say in product development. Compaq also instituted some traditional corporate mechanisms, such as tight fiscal controls and a forecasting system.

In 1983, Compaq’s consensus management proved valuable. Canion, Compaq’s chief executive officer, strongly supported the idea of producing a briefcase-size, or laptop, computer. The marketing research director, however, concluded that the market for such a computer did not exist. Canion relented and Compaq waited while other companies, including Gavilan Computer Corporation and Data General Corporation, attempted to market such a product and failed. Meanwhile, Compaq shipped its first two products, the Compaq Portable and the Compaq Plus. These computers set the standard for portable—though larger than a briefcase—full-function PCs. In 1983 Compaq shipped more than 53,000 portable PCs throughout the United States and Canada. That year, Compaq grew from 100 to 600 people, and production increased from 200 machines in January to 9,000 in December.

A key factor in Compaq’s growth was a strong cooperative relationship with its dealers. With nearly 90 PCs on the market aimed at business professionals, shelf space was very competitive. Compaq did not have a direct sales force of its own, and thus did not compete with its authorized dealers. This arrangement gave dealers more incentive to carry Compaq computers. Compaq also motivated its authorized dealers through what was called “Salespaq,” whereby Compaq paid a percentage of the dealer’s cost of advertising, sales training, or incentives.

Compaq’s ability to develop, produce, and market new products in a very short time period was another key ingredient in its success. Once a product was approved, Compaq undertook all aspects of its development simultaneously: factories were built, marketing and distribution arrangements were made, and engineers refined the product design. The product cycle in the PC industry is typically 12 to 18 months; Compaq delivered in 6 to 9 months. This fast turnaround in product development enabled Compaq to introduce the latest technology before its competitors. In 1984, for example, IBM announced a new version of its PC that experts felt would set back other PC manufacturers. Compaq pulled its resources from every branch of the company, and within six months introduced and shipped its DESKPRO line of desktop PCs. Fifteen months later IBM shipped its portable PC, which was two pounds heavier and offered fewer features than Compaq’s portable model. From the first quarter of 1983 to the last quarter of 1984, Compaq’s production increased from 2,200 computers to 48,000. Despite the 1984 industry shake-out, Compaq reported an increase in sales to over $.5 billion. In March 1985 Rosen’s original investment of $2.5 million increased in value to $30 million.

Expediency in product development also led to a turning point in Compaq’s history. In 1985 Intel, a leading manufacturer of microprocessors, wanted to market its powerful new microprocessor, the 80386, as soon as possible. Intel felt confident that a Compaq product based on the new microprocessor would see a quick entry into the market. Compaq and Intel worked together to correct defects in the 80386 microprocessor, and Intel redesigned many features of the chip to meet Compaq’s standards. Their collaboration resulted in Compaq’s 1987 introduction of the DESKPRO 386. Based on Intel’s new chip, this new PC performed over three times faster than IBM’s fastest PC, and nearly twice as fast as Compaq’s closest competitor. It took IBM nine months to introduce a comparable machine using Intel’s 80386. By then Compaq was developing a portable version of its new PC.

From 1986 through 1989, Compaq’s revenues increased fivefold to $3 billion, while other PC manufacturers—including Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems, the two top contenders—had setbacks. Much of this growth was due to Compaq’s successful marketing efforts in Europe. Led by Eckhard Pfeiffer, former head of TI’s European consumer-electronics operation, Compaq began its European campaign in 1984, before most other United States vendors. In 1989 Compaq became the number-two supplier of business PCs to the European market, achieving $1.3 billion in international sales. With the PC market in Europe growing one-third faster than the United States market, Compaq had an edge on other PC manufacturers.

In November of 1989 Compaq introduced the Compaq SYSTEMPRO personal computer and the Compaq DESK-PRO 486. These PCs utilized a technology known as Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), a hardware design that Compaq developed to challenge IBM’s Microchannel hardware design for its PS/2 PCs. These technologies increased the speed of PCs, enabling them to perform such complex operations as networking and multitasking. An added advantage of EISA was its ability to attract customers accustomed to using more powerful minicomputers and mainframe computers. By incorporating EISA into its new products, Compaq began to set industry standards. While IBM was producing computers based on the Microchannel technology, many other manufacturers were using EISA technology. Initial sales of the SYSTEMPRO were slow but, as chief executive officer Canion told a Business Week correspondent, “We realized we were opening up a whole new market. ... We knew it would take some time.”

Company sales for 1990 reached $3.6 billion, with net income of $455 million, record figures for the eighth consecutive year. During that year, Compaq lengthened the list of countries in which it operated, opening new subsidiaries in Austria, Finland, and Hong Kong, and authorizing dealers in the former East Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Mexico, and Trinidad. International sales accounted for over half of Compaq’s total revenue in 1990, eclipsing North American sales for the first time. Nine new products were introduced during that year. These included updated versions of the DESKPRO 386 desktop PC and a high-performance notebook PC, the Compaq LTE 386s/20. By the end of 1990, Compaq had 3,872 authorized dealers throughout the world, over 2,000 of them in North America.

Compaq slumped badly in 1991. For reasons ranging from the recession to price competition to problems with the flow of distribution, Compaq’s sales and earnings fell for the first time in the company’s history. Once again, the DESK-PRO 386 PC series was the best-seller, with desktop PCs accounting for close to three-quarters of Compaq’s total revenue. A new line of computers was introduced in September 1991 that had a new feature called “Intelligent Modularity.” This system, the DESKPRO/M, enabled users to more readily upgrade key components as their needs and the available technology changed. This was possible by organizing components into five easy-to-access modules: memory, input/output, EISA/ISA expansion cards, processor, and video graphics controller. It was hoped that customers would prefer upgrading with ease to purchasing a new computer every time their needs increased.

Compaq was forced to alter its established distribution strategy somewhat in 1991. By that time eight of the company’s ten most important dealer chains had merged into four. This led Compaq to gradually start authorizing computer consultants and discount chains to sell its products. Direct sales techniques of its own, such as a toll-free hotline, were stepped up as well.

In late 1991, a dramatic management shake-up took place. Following a gloomy board meeting at which a $70 million third-quarter loss was announced, company founder and chief executive officer Canion was forced to resign. Eckhard Pfeiffer, executive vice president and chief operating officer, was immediately named to replace Canion. A major reorganization of the corporate structure ensued. The company was realigned into desktop and systems divisions. As part of a 1,440-person staff reduction program, about 12 percent of the company’s entire workforce was laid off. In addition, five high-ranking executives left the organization, including senior vice president of engineering James C. Harris, the last remaining company founder.

In June 1992 Compaq introduced an incredible total of 16 new products. The new machines were of several types, including the company’s first low-cost desktop PCs (COMPAQ ProLinea), low-cost notebook PCs (Contura), and upgradable desktop PCs with advanced graphics and audio capabilities. The same month, Compaq announced the initiation of a new Peripherals Division, a worldwide arm whose mission would be to develop printers and printer-related items. The division’s initial line of products will launch Compaq into the rapidly growing market for network printers. Also, company officials believed that more aggressive pricing tactics would put Compaq in a better position from which to compete with manufacturers of lower-cost PC equipment, manufacturers that had helped put the brakes on Compaq’s previously unchecked growth. The company’s sales for the quarter ending June 30, 1992, were $827 million, 15 percent higher than the figure for the corresponding quarter in 1991. Net income was $29 million for the quarter, a 43 percent increase over the previous year’s quarter ending in June.

Compaq’s entry into the PC market on the heels of IBM gave it a market in which to grow. Its dedication to innovation within industry standards set by IBM is what enabled Compaq to surpass others in the IBM look-alike industry and compete with IBM head-to-head, something that will likely continue as they both enter the minicomputer and workstation markets. Compaq’s unique relationship with its authorized dealers, its experienced management team, and its ability to turn out a new product more quickly than any other vendor in the industry have made this company one of the fastest-growing in the history of American business. Whether Compaq can return to even a modest type of growth will depend largely upon its ability to compete in a field with more and more players whose skills are continually increasing.

Principal Subsidiaries

Compaq Computer Australia Pty. Limited; Compaq Computer GesmbH (Austria); Compaq Computer N.V./S.A. (Belgium); Compaq Canada Inc.; Compaq Computer A/S (Denmark); Compaq Computer S.A.R.L. (France); Compaq Computer GmbH (Germany); Compaq Computer Hong Kong Limited; Compaq Computer S.p.A. (Italy); Compaq Computer B.V. (Netherlands); Compaq Computer New Zealand Limited; Compaq Computer Norway A.S.; Compaq Computer Asia Pte. Ltd. (Singapore); Compaq Computer S.A. (Spain); Compaq Computer AB (Sweden); Compaq Computer AG (Switzerland); Compaq Computer OY (Finland); Compaq Computer Limited (U.K.).

Further Reading

“Compaq’s Compact,” Management Today, May 1985; Kotkin, Joel, “The Hottest Entrepreneur in America is ... the ‘Smart Team’ at Compaq Computer,” Inc., February 1986; Uttal, Bro, “Compaq Bids for PC Leadership,” Fortune, September 29, 1986; Cannes, Stuart, “America’s Fastest-Growing Companies,” Fortune, May 23, 1988; Whiting, Rick, “Compaq Stays the Course,” Electronic Business, October 20, 1989; Webber, Alan M., “Consensus, Continuity, and Commonsense: An Interview With Compaq’s Rod Canion,” Harvard Business Review, July/August 1990; Depke, Deidre A., “A Comeback at Compaq?,” Business Week, September 23, 1991; Zipper, Stuart, “Compaq—Life After Canion?,” Electronic News, November 4, 1991; Pitta, Julie, “Identity Crisis,” Forbes, May 25, 1992.

—Lynn Hall

updated by Robert R. Jacobson

Compaq Computer Corporation

20555 SH 249
Houston, Texas 77070
U.S.A.
(713) 370-0670
Fax: (713) 374-1740

Public Company
Incorporated: 1982
Employees: 10,000
Sales: $2.88 billion
Stock Exchange: New York

Compaq Computer Corporation is a leader in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of portable, desktop, laptop, and personal computer systems for business and professional users. Since its February 1982 founding in Houston, this company has set many U.S. business records. In its first full year of operation, for example, Compaq reached $111.2 million in revenues, the most successful first year of sales for a U.S. company. In 1986 Compaq was the first company to achieve Fortune 500 status in fewer than four years.

When International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) introduced its first personal computer (PC) in 1982, Compaq was among dozens of other companies entering the market with IBM look-alikes—computers which look and perform like IBM PCs, but are less expensive. Compaq set itself apart from other look-alike manufacturers by becoming an innovator itself, producing IBM-compatible PCs that are faster, superior in quality, and offer additional user features. Compaq’s management team also set the company apart from others in the PC industry. Made up of seasoned professionals from Texas Instruments (TI) and IBM, their prior experience in the volatile computer industry gave Compaq the tools necessary to survive through a phenomenal growth period in 1983. Compaq’s staff also had the technical and business grounding to establish new industry standards on its own—without following IBM.

Compaq’s beginning was in the summer of 1981, when Joseph R. “Rod” Canion, James M. Harris, and William H. Murto, three senior managers from TI, decided to start their own company. They had not yet determined what their company would produce and market; managing a Mexican restaurant or manufacturing storage devices for minicomputers or beeping devices for finding misplaced items were among their original ideas. The entrepreneurs eventually decided to build a portable PC that met industry standards set by IBM. With only $1,000 each to invest in their company, Canion, Harris, and Murto approached Ben Rosen, president of Sevin-Rosen Partners, a high-technology venture capital firm in Houston. Rosen, who is Compaq’s chairman, offered an initial investment of $2.5 million.

Compaq was established just after an era in which PC entrepreneurs had proliferated. The technological breakthrough of the microprocessor—an extraordinarily powerful semiconductor chip—enabled smaller computers to be built which were also faster, less expensive, and easier to use. Because the much-less-expensive microprocessor miniaturized computers, the demand for PCs increased, and development costs decreased significantly. As a result, many PC companies were established. While these early companies were successful in technological leadership and had a flair for marketing, deficiencies in inventory management and quality control eventually lead many of them to fail. When Compaq arrived on the scene, venture capitalists were beginning to force many entrepreneurs to turn control over their companies to more experienced management professionals. As Rosen— who had lost a $400,000 investment in another PC start-up— explained to Management Today in May 1985, “In the early days, it was an area for flamboyant people... who transformed their personalities into companies. Now the business requires a very different kind of manager. It has become a very unforgiving industry.”

Unlike most new PC companies, Compaq’s management had the benefit of the experience of long-time professionals. Prior to joining Compaq, each of its original 20 employees had worked in the computer industry for 15 to 20 years. Their experience in management and engineering at such companies as TI and IBM, two pioneers in the industry, provided Compaq with a solid foundation. Compaq’s management style is of the kind that was scorned by early iconoclastic PC entrepreneurs. Compaq makes decisions by a consensus approach to management which allows every division of the company a say in product development. Compaq also instituted some traditional corporate mechanisms, such as tight fiscal controls and a forecasting system.

In 1983, Compaq’s consensus management proved valuable. Canion, Compaq’s CEO, strongly supported the idea of producing a briefcase-size, or laptop, computer. The marketing research director, however, concluded that the market for such a computer did not exist. Canion relented and Compaq waited while other companies—such as Gavilan Computer Corporation and Data General Corporation—attempted to market such a product and failed. Meanwhile, Compaq shipped its first two products, the Compaq Portable and the Compaq Plus. These computers set the standard for fullfunction portable PCs. In 1983 Compaq shipped more than 53,000 portable PCs—which were larger than a briefcase— throughout the United States and Canada. That year, Compaq grew from 100 to 600 people, and production increased from 200 machines in January to 9,000 in December.

A key factor in Compaq’s growth has been a strong cooperative relationship with its dealers. With nearly 90 PCs on the market aimed at business professionals, shelf space is very competitive. Compaq does not have a direct sales force of its own, and thus does not compete with its authorized dealers. This arrangement gives dealers more incentive to carry Compaq computers. Compaq also motivates its authorized dealers through what is called “Salespaq,” whereby Compaq pays a percentage of the dealer’s cost of advertising, sales training, or incentives.

Compaq’s ability to develop, produce, and market new products in a very short time period is another key ingredient of its success. Once a product has been approved, Compaq undertakes all aspects of its development simultaneously: factories are built, marketing and distribution arrangements are made, and engineers refine the product design. The product cycle in the PC industry is typically 12 to 18 months; Compaq delivers in 6 to 9 months. This fast turnaround in product development enables Compaq to introduce latest technology before its competitors. In 1984, for example, IBM announced a new version of its PC, which experts felt would set back other PC manufacturers. Compaq pulled its resources from every branch of the company, and within six months introduced and shipped its Deskpro line of desktop PCs. Fifteen months later IBM shipped its portable PC, which was two pounds heavier and offered fewer features than Compaq’s portable model. From the first quarter of 1983 to the last quarter in 1984, Compaq’s production increased from 2,200 computers to 48,000. Despite the 1984 industry shakeout, Compaq reported an increase in sales, to over half a billion dollars. In March 1985, Rosen’s original investment of $2.5 million increased in value to $30 million.

Expediency in product development was also an important quality which lead to a turning point in Compaq’s history. In 1985 Intel, a leading manufacturer of microprocessors, wanted to market its new powerful microprocessor, the 80386, as soon as possible. Intel felt confident that a Compaq product based on the new microprocessor would see a quick entry into the market. Compaq and Intel worked together to correct defects in the 80386 microprocessor, and Intel redesigned many features of the chip to meet Compaq’s standards. Their collaboration resulted in Compaq’s 1987 introduction of the Deskpro 386. Based on Intel’s new chip, this new PC performed over three times faster than IBM’s fastest PC, and nearly twice as fast as Compaq’s closest competitor. It took IBM nine months to introduce a comparable machine using Intel’s 80386. By then, Compaq was developing a portable version of its new PC.

From 1986 through 1989, Compaq’s revenues increased fivefold to $3 billion, while other PC makers—including Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems, the two top contenders—have had setbacks. Much of this growth is due to Compaq’s successful marketing efforts in Europe. Led by Eckhard Pfeiffer, former head of TI’s European consumer-electronics operation, Compaq began its European campaign in 1984, before most other U.S. vendors. In 1989, Compaq became the number-two supplier of business PCs to the European market, achieving $1.3 billion in international sales. With the PC market in Europe growing a third faster than the U.S. market, Compaq has an edge on other PC manufacturers.

In November 1989, Compaq introduced the Compaq Systempro personal computer and the Compaq DESKPRO 486. These PCs utilize what is known as Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), a hardware design that Compaq developed to challenge IBM’s Microchannel hardware design for its PS/2 PCs. These technologies increase the speed of PCs, enabling them to perform more complex operations, such as networking and multitasking. EISA will take Compaq beyond the PC market and attract customers accustomed to using more powerful minicomputers and mainframe computers. By incorporating EISA into its new products, Compaq began to set industry standards. While IBM is producing computers based on the Mirochannel technology, many other manufacturers are using EISA technology. Initial sales of the Systempro were slow but, as CEO Canion told Business Week, July 2, 1990, “We realized we were opening up a whole new market.... We knew it would take some time.”

Compaq’s entry into the PC market on the heels of IBM gave it a market in which to grow. Its dedication to innovation within industry standards set by IBM is what enabled Compaq to surpass others in the IBM look-alike industry and meet IBM head-to-head as they both enter the minicomputer and workstation markets. Compaq’s unique relationship with its authorized dealers, its experienced management team, and its ability to turn out a new product more quickly than any other vendor in the industry have made this company one of the fastest-growing in the history of U.S. business.

Principal Subsidiaries

Compaq Computer Australia Pty. Limited; Compaq Computer GesmbH (Austria); Compaq Computer N.V./S.A. (Belgium); Compaq Canada Inc.; Compaq Computer A/S (Denmark); Compaq Computer S.A.R.L. (France); Compaq Computer Gmbh (Germany); Compaq Computer Hong Kong Limited; Compaq Computer S.p.A. (Italy); Compaq Computer B.V. (Netherlands); Compaq Computer New Zealand Limited; Compaq Computer Norway A.S.; Compaq Computer Asia Pte Ltd. (Singapore); Compaq Computer S.A. (Spain); Compaq Computer AB (Sweden); Compaq Computer AG (Switzerland); Compaq Computer OY (Finland); Compaq Computer Limited (U.K.).

Further Reading

“Compaq’s Compact,” Management Today, May 1985; Kotkin, Joel, “The Hottest Entrepreneur in America is... the ‘Smart Team’ at Compaq Computer,” Inc., February 1986; Uttal, Bro, “Compaq Bids for PC Leadership,” Fortune, September 29, 1986; Gannes, Stuart, “America’s Fastest-Growing Companies,” Fortune, May 23, 1988; Whiting, Rick, “Compaq stays the course,” Electronic Business, October 20, 1989; Webber, Alan M., “Consensus, Continuity, and Commonsense: An Interview with Compaq’s Rod Canion,” Harvard Business Review, July-August 1990.

—Lynn Hall

Compaq Computer Corporation

20555 State Highway 249
Houston, Texas 77070
U.S.A.
(281) 370-0670
(800) 231-0900
Fax: (281) 374-1740
Web site: http://www.compaq.com

Public Company
Incorporated: 1982
Employees: 32,565
Sales: $24.58 billion (1997)
Stock Exchanges: New York
Ticker Symbol: CPQ
SICs: 3571 Electronic Computers; 3577 Computer Peripheral Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified; 7372 Prepackaged Software; 7373 Computer Integrated Systems Design

Compaq Computer Corporation is the world’s largest supplier of personal computers and, as a result of its acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation in June 1998, is the second largest computer firm in the world (trailing only IBM). In addition to designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing portables, laptops, desktops, workstations, and servers for businesses and consumers, the company also develops and markets computer hardware, software, solutions, and services. Compaq products are marketed in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Beginnings: Making IBM Clones

When International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) introduced its first personal computer (PC) in 1982, Compaq was among dozens of other companies entering the market with IBM clones—computers that look and perform like IBM PCs, and are often less expensive. Compaq set itself apart from other clone manufacturers by becoming an innovator itself, producing IBM-compatible PCs that were faster, superior in quality, and offered additional user features. Compaq’s management team also set the company apart from others in the PC industry. Made up of seasoned professionals from Texas Instruments (TI) and IBM, the team’s prior experience in the volatile computer industry gave Compaq the tools necessary to survive a period of phenomenal growth in 1983. Compaq’s staff also had the technical and business grounding to establish new industry standards on its own—without following IBM.

Compaq’s beginning was in the summer of 1981, when Joseph R. “Rod” Canion, James M. Harris, and William H. Murto, three senior managers from TI, decided to start their own company. They had not yet determined what their company would produce and market; managing a Mexican restaurant or manufacturing storage devices for minicomputers or beeping devices for finding misplaced items were among their original ideas. The entrepreneurs eventually decided to build a portable PC that met industry standards set by IBM. With only $1,000 each to invest in their company, Canion, Harris, and Murto approached Ben Rosen, president of Sevin-Rosen Partners, a high-technology venture capital firm in Houston. Rosen, who became Compaq’s chairman, offered an initial investment of $2.5 million.

Compaq was established just after an era in which PC entrepreneurs had proliferated. The technological breakthrough of the microprocessor—an extraordinarily powerful semiconductor chip—enabled smaller computers to be built that were also faster, less expensive, and easier to use. Because this much less expensive microprocessor served to miniaturize computers, the demand for PCs increased, and development costs decreased significantly. As a result, many new PC companies were established. While these early companies were successful in technological leadership and often had a flair for marketing, deficiencies in inventory management and quality control eventually led many of them to fail. When Compaq arrived on the scene, venture capitalists were beginning to force many entrepreneurs to turn over control of their companies to more experienced management professionals. As Rosen—who had lost a $400,000 investment in another PC start-up—explained in Management Today in 1985, “In the early days, it was an area for flamboyant people... who transformed their personalities into companies. Now the business requires a very different kind of manager. It has become a very unforgiving industry.”

Unlike most new PC companies, Compaq’s management had the benefit of the experience of longtime professionals. Prior to joining Compaq, each of its original 20 employees had worked in the computer industry for 15 to 20 years. Their experience in management and engineering at such companies as TI and IBM—two pioneers in the industry—provided Compaq with a solid foundation. Compaq’s management style was of the kind that was scorned by early iconoclastic PC entrepreneurs. Compaq made decisions by a consensus approach, which allowed every division of the company a say in product development. Compaq also instituted some traditional corporate mechanisms, such as tight fiscal controls and a forecasting system.

In 1983 Compaq’s consensus management proved valuable. Canion, Compaq’s chief executive officer, strongly supported the idea of producing a briefcase-size, or laptop, computer. The marketing research director, however, concluded that the market for such a computer did not exist. Canion relented, and Compaq waited while other companies, including Gavilán Computer Corporation and Data General Corporation, attempted to market such a product and failed. Meanwhile, Compaq shipped its first two products, the Compaq Portable and the Compaq Plus. These computers set the standard for portable—though larger than a briefcase—full-function PCs. In 1983 Compaq shipped more than 53,000 portable PCs throughout the United States and Canada. That year, the Compaq workforce grew from 100 to 600, and production increased from 200 machines in January to 9,000 in December. The company recorded $111.2 million in revenues, the most successful first year of sales for a U.S. company.

A key factor in Compaq’s growth was a strong cooperative relationship with its dealers. With nearly 90 PCs on the market aimed at business professionals, shelf space was very competitive. Compaq did not have a direct sales force of its own, and thus did not compete with its authorized dealers. This arrangement gave dealers more incentive to carry Compaq computers. Compaq also motivated its authorized dealers through what was called “Salespaq,” whereby Compaq paid a percentage of the dealer’s cost of advertising, sales training, or incentives.

Compaq’s ability to develop, produce, and market new products in a very short time period was another key ingredient in its success. Once a product was approved, Compaq undertook all aspects of its development simultaneously: factories were built, marketing and distribution arrangements were made, and engineers refined the product design. The product cycle in the PC industry was typically 12 to 18 months; Compaq delivered in six to nine months. This fast turnaround in product development enabled Compaq to introduce the latest technology before its competitors. In 1984, for example, IBM announced a new version of its PC that experts felt would set back other PC manufacturers. Compaq pulled its resources from every branch of the company, and within six months introduced and shipped its DESKPRO line of desktop PCs. Fifteen months later IBM shipped its portable PC, which was two pounds heavier and offered fewer features than Compaq’s portable model. From the first quarter of 1983 to the last quarter of 1984, Compaq’s production increased from 2,200 computers to 48,000. Despite the 1984 industry shakeout, Compaq reported an increase in sales to over $500 million. In March 1985 Rosen’s original investment of $2.5 million increased in value to $30 million.

The Late 1980s: New Products and Markets

Expediency in product development also led to a turning point in Compaq’s history. In 1985 Intel, a leading manufacturer of microprocessors, wanted to market its powerful new microprocessor, the 80386, as soon as possible. Intel felt confident that a Compaq product based on the new microprocessor would see a quick entry into the market. Compaq and Intel worked together to correct defects in the 80386 microprocessor, and Intel redesigned many features of the chip to meet Compaq’s standards. Their collaboration resulted in Compaq’s 1987 introduction of the DESKPRO 386. Based on Intel’s new chip, this new PC performed over three times faster than IBM’s fastest PC, and nearly twice as fast as Compaq’s closest competitor. It took IBM nine months to introduce a comparable machine using Intel’s 80386. By then Compaq was developing a portable version of its new PC.

In 1986 Compaq became the first company to achieve Fortune 500 status in fewer than four years. From 1986 through 1989, Compaq’s revenues increased fivefold to $3 billion, while other PC manufacturers—including Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems, the two top contenders—had setbacks. Much of this growth was due to Compaq’s successful marketing efforts in Europe. Led by Eckhard Pfeiffer, former head of TI’s European consumer electronics operation, Compaq began its European campaign in 1984, before most other U.S. vendors. In 1989 Compaq became the number two supplier of business PCs to the European market, achieving $1.3 billion in international sales. With the PC market in Europe growing about 33 percent faster than the U.S. market, Compaq had an edge on other PC manufacturers.

Company Perspectives:

Compaq has become one of the world’s most successful companies and today leads the computer industry in market share performance and balance sheet strength. We’ve achieved this by consistently executing our strategic plans, delivering on our promises and striving to provide customers with the highest levels of innovation and flexibility at the lowest total cost of ownership. By continuing to do so, we believe that we will strengthen our capability to lead the future of computing.

In November 1989 Compaq introduced the Compaq SYSTEMPRO personal computer and the Compaq DESKPRO 486. These PCs utilized a technology known as Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), a hardware design that Compaq developed to challenge IBM’s MicroChannel hardware design for its PS/2 PCs. These technologies increased the speed of PCs, enabling them to perform such complex operations as networking and multitasking. An added advantage of EISA was its ability to attract customers accustomed to using more powerful minicomputers and mainframe computers. By incorporating EISA into its new products, Compaq began to set industry standards. While IBM was producing computers based on the MicroChannel technology, many other manufacturers were using EISA technology. Initial sales of the SYSTEMPRO were slow but, as CEO Canion told a Business Week correspondent, “We realized we were opening up a whole new market.... We knew it would take some time.”

Company sales for 1990 reached $3.6 billion, with net income of $455 million, record figures for the eighth consecutive year. During that year, Compaq lengthened the list of countries in which it operated, opening new subsidiaries in Austria, Finland, and Hong Kong, and authorizing dealers in the former East Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Mexico, and Trinidad. International sales accounted for over half of Compaq’s total revenue in 1990, eclipsing North American sales for the first time. Nine new products were introduced during that year. These included updated versions of the DESKPRO 386 desktop PC and a high-performance notebook PC, the Compaq LTE 386s/20. By the end of 1990, Compaq had 3,872 authorized dealers throughout the world, over 2,000 of them in North America.

1991 Brings a Slump

However, Compaq slumped badly in 1991. For reasons ranging from economic recession and price competition to problems with the flow of distribution, Compaq’s sales and earnings fell for the first time in the company’s history. Once again, the DESKPRO 386 PC series was the bestseller, with desktop PCs accounting for close to three-fourths of Compaq’s total revenue. In September 1991, a new line of Compaq computers was introduced that had a new feature known as “Intelligent Modularity.” This system, the DESKPRO/M, enabled users to more readily upgrade key components as their needs and the available technology changed. This was possible by organizing components into five easy-to-access modules: memory, input/output, EISA/ISA expansion cards, processor, and video graphics controller. It was hoped that customers would prefer upgrading with ease to purchasing a new computer every time their needs increased.

Compaq was forced to alter its established distribution strategy somewhat in 1991. By that time eight of the company’s ten most important dealer chains had merged into four. This led Compaq to gradually start authorizing computer consultants and discount chains to sell its products. Direct sales techniques of its own, such as a toll-free hotline, were stepped up as well.

In late 1991, a dramatic management shake-up took place. Following a gloomy board meeting at which a $70 million third-quarter loss was announced, company founder and CEO Canion was forced to resign. Pfeiffer, who had been promoted to executive vice-president and chief operating officer, was immediately named to replace Canion. A major reorganization of the corporate structure ensued. The company was realigned into desktop and systems divisions. As part of a 1,440-person staff reduction program, about 12 percent of the company’s entire work force was laid off. In addition, five high-ranking executives left the organization, including senior vice-president of engineering James C. Harris, the last remaining company founder.

In June 1992 Compaq introduced an incredible total of 16 new products. The new machines were of several types, including the company’s first low-cost desktop PCs (COMPAQ Pro-Linea), low-cost notebook PCs (Contura), and upgradeable desktop PCs with advanced graphics and audio capabilities. The same month, Compaq announced the initiation of a new Peripherals Division, a worldwide arm whose mission would be to develop printers and printer-related items. The division’s initial line of products, including the August 1992 debut of the Compaq Pagem printer, launched Compaq into the rapidly growing market for network printers. The printer line was a failure, however, and was abandoned in 1993.

Presario Leads a Consumer Push In the Mid-1990s

Under the leadership of Eckhardt, Compaq also began a major push into the consumer and home office markets. This effort was centered around the Presario line of home computers launched in August 1993. The company’s hottest new PC in company history, the Presario line included models selling for less than $1,500; Compaq sold more than 100,000 Presarios in the first 60 days after introduction, with sales fueled by a $12 million television advertising blitz, the company’s first such campaign in three years. In 1993 alone, Compaq sold $500 million worth of Presarios. By aggressively pricing its PCs, Compaq placed itself in a better position from which to compete with manufacturers of lower-cost PC equipment, manufacturers that had helped put the brakes on Compaq’s previously unchecked growth. By 1994 the company managed not only to fend off its low-price competitors, it also surpassed IBM as the number one seller of PCs worldwide.

Not content with its PC dominance, Compaq in the mid-1990s aimed to capture a much wider market. It had already introduced the Proliant server PCs as its entry into the market for servers (powerful computers used for corporate networks and Internet web sites). The company then went after the corporate mainframe and minicomputer market with the launch of the Armada mainframe-class server, the top-of-the-line model which sold for upwards of $100,000. On the lower-end server front, in 1994 Compaq launched the ProSignia VS server, which cost only about five to ten percent more than a desktop PC.

Also in 1994 Compaq revamped its logistics system in order to begin building its PCs to order from a huge stockpile of parts. Previously Compaq had estimated how many units of each product it wanted in its inventory and then had that number built. Under this build-to-inventory system the company risked making too many of a particular product and being stuck with excess, unwanted inventory, as well as not having enough of a particularly hot product on hand. With its build-to-order system Compaq would realize significant inventory and manufacturing cost savings.

Other Compaq initiatives of this period included moves into high-speed networking equipment and Internet services/products, as well as the October 1996 launch of a highly successful line of engineering workstations. The highly aggressive Compaq thereby realized astounding growth: revenues increased from $5.79 billion in 1992 to $20.01 billion in 1996; net income, which had peaked in 1990 at $577 million, registered at $988 million in 1994, $893 million in 1995, and $1.32 billion in 1996. Reflecting its wider range of products, Compaq generated about 15 percent of its revenues from the consumer PC market, 48 percent from corporate desktop PCs, and 35 percent from servers and workstations in 1997.

Acquisitions in the Late 1990s

In February 1997 Compaq released a $999 PC, the Presario 2000, in another aggressive, low-price move aimed at attracting the 60 percent of U.S. households without a PC. Later in 1997 the company made two significant acquisitions. In August Compaq acquired, through a stock-for-stock transaction valued at about $4 billion, Tandem Computers Incorporated, a leader in fail-safe high-end servers with annual sales of $2 billion and a sales force 4,000 strong. Compaq also spent $280 million for Microcom, Inc., a provider of devices for remote access to networks.

Moreover, Compaq had its eye on an even bigger deal. In June 1998 the company completed its $9.1 billion acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation, the number four computer maker in the United States. Digital, which became a subsidiary of Compaq, was a leading maker of high-end workstations and servers, giving Compaq an even greater presence in those markets. Digital also brought to Compaq a 22,000-person service operation for large companies—computer services having been one of Compaq’s weakest areas. The deal not only increased Compaq’s annual revenues to more than $37 billion and vaulted the company into the number two position among all the computer firms in the world (behind only $78.5 million-in-revenues IBM), it also positioned Compaq as one of the world leaders in just about every computer sector. The company was number one worldwide in desktop computers, number three in portable computers, number three in workstations, number one in both PC servers (costing less than $25,000) and entry servers (less than $100,000), and number six in midrange servers ($100,000 to $1 million). In computer services, Compaq was suddenly number three, behind IBM and EDS.

Integrating the operations of Compaq and Digital was sure to be difficult and costly. Compaq took a $3.6 billion charge against earnings in 1998 related to the acquisition and announced plans to cut 15,000 Digital jobs and 2,000 at Compaq. Areas of overlap began to be addressed, such as the folding of Digital’s PC production into that of Compaq and the scaling back of Compaq’s network equipment unit. However, it would take some time before the full impact of this combination—at the time the largest merger in the relatively short history of computers—could be assessed.

Principal Subsidiaries

Digital Equipment Corporation; Microcom, Inc.; Tandem Computers Incorporated; Compaq Computer Australia Pty. Limited; Compaq Computer GesmbH (Austria); Compaq Computer N.V./S.A. (Belgium); Compaq Canada Inc.; Compaq Computer A/S (Denmark); Compaq Computer OY (Finland); Compaq Computer S.A.R.L. (France); Compaq Computer GmbH (Germany); Compaq Computer Hong Kong Limited; Compaq Computer S.p.A. (Italy); Compaq K.K. (Japan); Compaq Computer B.V. (Netherlands); Compaq Computer New Zealand Limited; Compaq Computer Norway A.S.; Compaq Computer Asia Pte. Ltd. (Singapore); Compaq Computer S.A. (Spain); Compaq Computer AB (Sweden); Compaq Computer AG (Switzerland); Compaq Computer Taiwan Limited; Compaq Computer Limited (U.K.).

Further Reading

Arnst, Catherine, et. al, “Compaq: How It Made Its Impressive Move Out of the Doldrums,” Business Week, November 2, 1992, pp. 146+.

Bank, David, and Leslie Cauley, “Microsoft, Compaq Make Net-Access Bet,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 1998, pp. A3, A8.

Burrows, Peter, “Compaq Stretches for the Crown,” Business Week, July 11, 1994, pp. 140–42.

_______, “Where Compaq’s Kingdom Is Weak,” Business Week, May 8, 1995, pp. 98, 102.

“Compaq’s Compact,” Management Today, May 1985.

Depke, Deidre A., “A Comeback at Compaq?,” Business Week, September 23, 1991.

Gannes, Stuart, “America’s Fastest-Growing Companies,” Fortune, May 23, 1988.

Heller, Robert, “The Compaq Comeback,” Management Today, December 1994, pp. 66–70.

Kirkpatrick, David, “Fast Times at Compaq,” Fortune, April 1, 1996, pp. 120 +.

_______, “The Revolution at Compaq Computer,” Fortune, December 14, 1992, pp. 80 +.

Kotkin, Joel, “The Hottest Entrepreneur in America Is... the ‘Smart Team’ at Compaq Computer,” Inc., February 1986.

Loeb, Marshall, “Leadership Lost—and Regained,” Fortune, April 17, 1995, pp. 217+.

Losee, Stephanie, “How Compaq Keeps the Magic Going,” Fortune, February 21, 1994, pp. 90+.

McWilliams, Gary, “Compaq at the ‘Crossroads,’” Business Week, July 22, 1996, pp. 70–72.

_______, “Compaq-Digital: Let the Slimming Begin,” Business Week, June 22, 1998, p. 44.

_______, “Compaq: There’s No End to Its Drive,” Business Week, February 17, 1997, pp. 72, 74.

_______, “Mimicking Dell, Compaq to Sell Its PCs Directly,” Wall Street Journal, November 11, 1998, pp. Bl, B4.

McWilliams, Gary, et. al., “Power Play: How the Compaq-Digital Deal Will Reshape the Entire World of Computers,” Business Week, February 9, 1998, pp. 90–94, 96–97.

Nee, Eric, “Compaq Computer Corp.,” Forbes, January 12, 1998, pp. 90 +.

Palmer, Jay, “Still Shining: Growth in PC Demand Abroad, Networking Make Compaq’s Prospects Bright,” Barron’s, December 11, 1995, pp. 15–16.

Pitta, Julie, “Identity Crisis,” Forbes, May 25, 1992.

Ramstad, Evan, “Compaq’s CEO Takes Tricky Curves at High Speed,” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 1998, p. B4.

Ramstad, Evan, and Jon G. Auerbach, “Compaq Buys Digital, an Unthinkable Event Just a Few Years Ago,” Wall Street Journal, January 27, 1998, pp. Al, A14.

Uttal, Bro, “Compaq Bids for PC Leadership,” Fortune, September 29, 1986.

Ward, Judy, “The Endless Wave: Eckhard Pfeiffer Has Turned Compaq Around—Only to Face New Competition,” Financial World, July 4, 1995, pp. 32–35.

Webber, Alan M., “Consensus, Continuity, and Commonsense: An Interview with Compaq’s Rod Canion,” Harvard Business Review, July/August 1990.

Whiting, Rick, “Compaq Stays the Course,” Electronic Business, October 20, 1989.

Zipper, Stuart, “Compaq—Life After Canion?,” Electronic News, November 4, 1991.

—Lynn Hall and Robert R. Jacobson
—updated by David E. Salamie

Compaq Computer Corporation

founded: 1982

Contact Information:

headquarters: 20555 state highway 249
houston, tx 77070 phone: (281)370-0670 fax: (281)374-1740 toll free: (800)345-1518 url: http://www.compaq.com

OVERVIEW

Compaq Computer Corporation ranks as the world's largest supplier of personal computers (PCs) and shipped its 30 millionth PC in 1997. The company has been recognized as one of the 100 best employers in the nation. Its product line includes: desktop, portable, and notebook computers; servers; peripherals and monitors; software; and entertainment and multimedia products. Compaq achieved $1 billion in sales faster than any other computer company in the United States. Focusing on fast growth, the company has worked to outshine the only four companies larger than itself: IBM, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, and NEC. In fact, Compaq's goal is to be one of the top three computer companies in the world by the year 2000.

COMPANY FINANCES

Compaq reports that in 1997 its North American sales constituted 55 percent of total sales. Sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa represented 32 percent. The remaining 13 percent of sales accounted for its Asia/Pacific, Japan, Greater China, and Latin America divisions. Sales in 1997 reached $24.58 billion as compared with $20.01 billion in 1996.

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CPQ, its first-quarter 1997 high was $17.35 and its low $14.40; its second-quarter high was $21.63 and low $14.40; third-quarter high was 39.13 and low 20.38; and fourth quarter high was 38.63 and low was 26.66.

ANALYSTS' OPINIONS

Compaq's operating profits of 9 percent are higher than those of any other personal computer company, making it the leader in the computer industry's most financially rewarding area. This area is also comprised of servers that connect to other personal computers and entertainment software applications. Compaq holds a 36 percent server market share, while IBM has only 14 percent of this market. The most serious criticism that has surrounded Compaq is that it has been so intent on becoming one of the top three PC companies that it has spread itself too thin. As a result, some analysts have feared, Compaq would begin losing customers and stock value. Eckhard Pfeiffer, the company's chief executive officer, intends on competing by maintaining low-cost, high-volume products in the business, which is a strategy questioned by many. Still, analysts have been impressed by Compaq's financial picture. By generating new customer sales while expanding existing customer sales, the company increased its international PC market share from 10 percent to 12 percent.

Some analysts have predicted that Hewlett-Packard and Compaq would eventually compete for leadership in the industry. Compaq's competitive edge rests on the idea of using the Wintel server, combining Microsoft Windows and Intel to develop a computing network. In fact, 67 percent of Wintel servers sold by way of computer resellers come from Compaq.

HISTORY

Compaq was founded in 1982 by Joseph A. "Rod" Canion and two other former Texas Instrument employees. Based in Houston, Texas, Compaq was designed to produce and sell portable IBM-compatible computers. After shipping its first computer in 1982, the company quickly generated unmatchable sales of $111 million by 1983. That growth continued when Compaq released the first 28-pound portable computer in 1983. A successful strategy for Compaq has been selling rights to dealers and suppliers of the IBM personal computer in order to move its stock quickly. By 1990 Compaq had 3,800 retailers in 152 countries. In 1992 the company released the Compaq SYSTEMPRO/XL, the fastest PC server in the world at that time. By the following year, Compaq had bypassed IBM as the world's leading manufacturer of personal computers.

Joseph Canion resigned in 1991 when the company faced tough times due to economic decline. A former marketing executive of Texas Instruments, Eckhard Pfeiffer, took over as chief executive officer.

The company attempted to increase business by introducing many new models of personal computers in 1995. The following year, Compaq slashed prices as much as 51 percent on some models in an effort to increase consumer appeal. That same year it teamed up with Fisher-Price to introduce Wonder Tools, a line of computer toys for children.

Compaq followed these changes with an internal restructuring. It organized four groups centered on enterprise computing, consumer products, communications products, and desktop and portable personal computers. Compaq also entered the workstation market at this time, producing high-powered computers with a sales price ranging from $6,000 to $15,000.

STRATEGY

When Eckhard Pfeiffer took over leadership for Compaq, he set the goal that the company become one of the third-largest computer companies worldwide, which could have explained the company's passion for speed. Compaq aims for great success in all of these areas: revenue growth, market share gains, new business development, and manufacturing. This kind of strategy has greatly benefited Compaq. Another element in Compaq's strategy has been the idea of partnerships in business. The company has formed alliances with such companies as Intel, Fisher-Price, Microsoft, Digital Equipment, Novell, and Cisco Systems. Compaq based its decision to form partnerships on this philosophy, as stated in an April 1996 issue of Fortune magazine. Gary Stimac, former vice president of the systems division was quoted as saying, " . . . if we can't do it ourselves, we need to find out who is best in each category and bring them into the solution . . . ."

INFLUENCES

Since Compaq's drop in revenue in 1991, Pfeiffer made it his mission to send the company to new heights. Previously, Compaq was a computer company that manufactured quality products at high prices, welcoming gross margins of 37 percent. With Pfeiffer's plan, the company sacrificed those margins down to 23 percent in order to produce volume. Pfeiffer cut sales and administrative costs in half from 22 percent of sales to 11 percent of sales, which has led Compaq to be the leading low-cost manufacturer in the industry. In fact, cost cutting has proven less stressful for Compaq than its competitors.

Again in the spring of 1996, Compaq faced analysts with the news that the company was not likely to produce the earnings predicted, which caused company stock to take a deep plunge. Eckhard Pfeiffer saw a need to create greater profits along with growth, and he quickly revised his strategy to include price reductions of 20 percent for dealers. This proved successful, and its March quarter for 1996 jumped 42 percent. This incident, however, caused Compaq to change its vision.

Soon following price reductions came an internal reorganization. Nine new divisions were created to focus on areas of rapid growth. These included Internet products and services, small-business systems, and engineering workstations. Many analysts feared that Compaq could not operate efficiently with its growing number of divisions. Nonetheless, Pfeiffer continued to shift the company's focus. He brought in managers from the competition such as those from Unisys Corp. and Digital Equipment. Because Compaq's own employees were overlooked, many executives quit in late 1996.

According to Pfeiffer, another area requiring expansion was the options business, which included monitors, networking cards, and modems. These areas eventually produced great profits for Compaq, giving the company an edge over its competitors by not remaining simply a PC company. Analyst Lee Sullivan has likened this to Mattel's strategy in manufacturing Barbie. That is, the company made a large amount of money from the outfits, not just the doll. After 1995 PC options became a successful line of business for Compaq.

CURRENT TRENDS

Compaq continued to focus on aggressive profit and growth into the late 1990s. The company developed new partnerships with many companies, allowing for advancement without great expense. For example, Compaq relied on Andersen Consulting and software producer SAP to set up and maintain systems in the manner of the Hewlett-Packard/IBM partnership. In forming these alliances, Compaq launched itself onto the major playing field without incorporating the extensive costs of operating its own services or software business.

Compaq's focus has always been highly consumer-oriented. One of the projects receiving funds at Compaq has been the startup of Intellon Corp., which creates computer chips for use in such products as stereos and refrigerators. Eckhard Pfeiffer sees this as the wave of the future. He believes that computers will eventually control air-conditioning, heating, and security systems in homes and businesses.

PRODUCTS

Compaq's theory of being fast to yield success carries over to its product development as well. The company is organized in five product groups. Its PC Products group accounted for 47 percent of company sales in 1997. Its Compaq Deskpro was reportedly the most popular PC in the world during this time. This group has introduced a line of portable computers, including the Armada 1500 and Armada 7700. Compaq's Enterprise Computing Group focuses on server products, workstations, and storage and options. It accounted for 36 percent of sales in 1997. From this area has come Compaq's ProSignia 200 servers and ProLiant 7000 with PCI Hot Plug technology. It was hoped that the group's new E2000 Platform Architecture would enable more powerful and flexible solutions for the needs of enterprise customers.

Compaq's Consumer Products Group, which focuses on computers and peripherals for the consumer and home office market, brought in 16 percent of 1997 company sales. In 1997, this group introduced its low-cost (under a $1,000) Presario 2000 series to attract the 60 percent of U.S. families without personal computers at the time. Later that year, its consumer line was expanded to include new processor technologies with easier Internet access, digital video disk (DVD) capabilities, and a creative imaging center.

In August of 1997 Compaq merged with California-based Tandem Computers, forming a division that served to expand its enterprise product line into the mission-critical computing space. During this year, Tandem launched its ServerNet NonStop Himalaya S-series system and continued to work on its UNIX system products and wireless applications. The following year brought closer partnering with Compaq's Enterprise Computing Group.

Compaq's Communication Products Group focuses on local area network (LAN) products such as network interface cards and hubs and switches providing a range of network systems for businesses. It also provides a wide range of remote access products such as modems and ISDN routers. With the acquisition of Microcom in 1997 came the availability of modem pools and remote access concentrators.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

Compaq has stood as a leader in the environmental, health, and safety arenas. The company was recognized by the World Environment Center in January of 1997 as the recipient of the WEC Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement. Compaq was praised for establishing an Environmental Policy in its early years, and it continues to show great care in assessing environmental issues at each stage of a product's life cycle. It also was the first in the industry to develop energy-efficient computers, with the capability of CO2 emission reductions. Compaq also showed leadership in the environmental field by introducing manufacturing methods that did away with the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Environmental, health, and safety education and training have remained standard operations for Compaq among senior management, employees, suppliers, vendors, and school children. The company is also a member of the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection.

FAST FACTS: About Compaq Computer Corporation

Ownership: Compaq is a publicly owned corporation traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ticker symbol: CPQ

Officers: Eckhard Pfeiffer, Pres. & CEO, 1997 base salary $1,250,000; Earl L. Mason, Sr. VP & CFO, 1997 base salary $475,000; Gregory E. Petsch, Sr. VP Manufacturing & Quality, 1997 base salary $425,000

Employees: 32,565

Principal Subsidiary Companies: Compaq's principal subsidiaries are PC Products Group, Enterprise Computing Group, Consumer Products Group, Communications Products Group, and Tandem Computer Group.

Chief Competitors: In a highly competitive industry, Compaq strives to maintain its market share. Some primary competitors are: Fujitsu; Hewlett-Packard; IBM; NEC; Dell; and Gateway 2000.

In June of 1996 Compaq was chosen as "PC Partner of the Year" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This award acknowledged Compaq's efforts to move forward in environmental concerns of its products, to promote the Energy Star Program, and to offer Energy Star-compliant computer products. Compaq also participates in the Green Lights Program, which promotes energy-efficient lighting. In addition to this, the company has worked to advance recycling. It has pursued various methods for product design that relieve the disassembly and recycling process at the end of a product's life. Called the "Design for Environment," this attempt expanded to new product designs.

Waste disposal operations also continued to be evaluated at Compaq. The objective was to ensure that the company uses waste treatment facilities that function in a safe, environmentally responsible manner. Compaq developed an onsite audit of commercial waste treatment, storage, disposal, and recycling facilities. In all of its environmental operations, the company conducted formal audits internally, as well as through the International Standards Organization certification specifications.

GLOBAL PRESENCE

Products manufactured by Compaq are sold and supported in more than 100 countries by way of a network of Compaq partnerships. The company has continued its efforts to meet current and future needs of customers. It has supplied Internet and enterprise computing solutions, networking products, as well as commercial PC products and consumer PCs.

Compaq engages in a wide range of marketing, sales, and customer support programs through its North American Division. These programs focus on pricing, new channel development, customer satisfaction and support, and marketing in the United States and Canada. Compaq ventured into the European market in 1994. It currently owns subsidiaries in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, and Poland. In addition, the company's European division includes the Middle East and Africa.

In 1991 Compaq incorporated Compaq Computer Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd. To take advantage of the great potential for the company in the Asia/Pacific region. With headquarters in Singapore, Compaq has subsidiaries in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Thailand. Other Compaq offices are located in China, Korea, India, Brunei/Indonesia/Philippines, and Indochina.

Japan allowed Compaq to design a line of desktop, portable, and notebook computers and PC systems exclusively for the Japanese market. Compaq also operates sales in Latin America and houses subsidiaries in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean/Central American region. Compaq has remained highly dependent upon international markets for its desktop, portable, and server products. Due to increased demands throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Compaq has built a manufacturing facility in Erskine, Scotland, which produces a full range of Compaq desktop, server, and portable products. The company also opened a manufacturing facility in Singapore in May of 1990, which expanded in 1994 due to new customer demands in the Asia Pacific locale. China and Brazil house manufacturing plants as well to meet the increased needs for PCs.

EMPLOYMENT

Compaq believes its employees are critical to its success. In 1997 the company had 32,565 full-time employees and 8,878 temporary and contract workers. It reports that it has developed competitive human resources policies consistent with its business strategies.

CHRONOLOGY: Key Dates for Compaq Computer Corporation

1982:

Former Texas Instruments employees create Compaq Computer Corporation in Houston, Texas

1983:

Compaq sets the standard for portable PCs with the release of its Compaq Portable

1987:

Intel and Compaq collaborate to release the DESKPRO 386, twice as fast as any IBM PC

1991:

Compaq restructures, laying off 12 percent of its workforce

1993:

Compaq beats IBM as the world leader in PC manufacturing

1995:

Fisher-Price and Compaq team up to create a line of computer toys for children

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Bibliography

compaq computer corporation annual report, 10 june 1998. available at: http://www.edgar-online.com.

compaq computer corporation home page, 10 june 1998. available at http://www.compaq.com.

"compaq computer corporation." hoover's online, 10 june 1998. available at http://www.hoovers.com.

kirkpatrick, david. "fast times at compaq." fortune, 1 april 1996.

——-. "they're all copying compaq." fortune, 25 november 1996.

mcwilliams, gary. "compaq: there's no end to its drive." business week, 17 february 1997.

sullivan, r. lee. "compaq's barbie-doll strategy." forbes, 4 november 1996.

For an annual report:

on the internet at: http://www.edgar-online.com

For additional industry research:

investigate companies by their standard industrial classification codes, also known as sics. compaq's primary sic is:

3571 electronic computers

Compaq Computer Corporation Compaq was an early and successful entrant into the personal computer market and into portables. In 1997, it bought Tandem Computers, a manufacturer of very high-reliability computers for the business market. In 1998, in the largest acquisition in the computer industry up to then, it bought the Digital Equipment Corporation. In 2002, it merged with the Hewlett-Packard Corporation.