Re:HP to buy Autonomy for $11 billion
by benjamind on Friday August 19, 2011 @11:28AM
(#2903693)
Yes, the complete package is what they can offer big business. There are so many pieces to it now that they can turn it to a huge range of different uses.
The problem they have (well at least had when I was there a few years ago) is that nobody understands it all anymore. They've acquired so much technology and have such a high turn over rate of developers (barring a few extremely well rewarded key seniors) that its a constant uphill struggle to change anything or improve significantly, so developers have to just patch things up as best they can.
That burden will eventually catch up with them I would think, but I'm always surprised at how long a bad code-base can be kept alive.
The problem they have (well at least had when I was there a few years ago) is that nobody understands it all anymore. They've acquired so much technology and have such a high turn over rate of developers (barring a few extremely well rewarded key seniors) that its a constant uphill struggle to change anything or improve significantly, so developers have to just patch things up as best they can.
That burden will eventually catch up with them I would think, but I'm always surprised at how long a bad code-base can be kept alive.