Report: Big changes in store for HP Labs
Hewlett-Packard is expected to announce a major reorganization of its research arm, HP Labs, on Thursday, according to a MarketWatch report.
HP indeed has a midday press conference planned at HP Labs in Palo Alto, Calif., this Thursday, but so far the company has been tight-lipped about what exactly it has in store for attendees. CEO Mark Hurd, CTO Shane Robison, and Prith Banerjee, director of HP Labs, are expected to be on hand for the event.
According to the report, the changes to be announced will represent the biggest reorganization of HP Labs in more than 10 years, and will include a clear direction for new research priorities.
CNET News.com sat down with Labs chief Banerjee last year when he first started the job. Fresh out of the world of academia, he said he hoped he could instill a more "entrepreneurial spirit" into the 40-year-old research organization.
Instead of long-term projects with no predetermined lifespan, Banerjee said he hoped to focus on 30 or 40 "high impact" projects and move them into practical product applications quickly--in particular next-generation data centers, mobile computing and digital printing and imaging, which are HP's top priorities currently.
News.com will be at the event Thursday, so check back then for further details.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica. 
