HP reinvents its developer conference

Hewlett-Packard has decided to postpone its Invent 2002 developer conference, noting that companies are increasingly unwilling to send workers to such multi-day events.

HP said it plans to modify the format of the conference, making it a series of regional and Web-based events. The conference had been scheduled to take place in Las Vegas at the end of the month.

HP spokeswoman Sherri Stuart said the company made the decision to postpone the event earlier this week.

"As the planning for this event has progressed, customers have communicated that current economic conditions have forced them to change their level of participation in these types of events," HP said on the Web site for the conference.

The Invent conference was originally scheduled for last fall, but was postponed in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

HP said that delaying the conference will also allow the company "to provide better details on merged HP and Compaq Computer technologies."

The company plans to close its acquisition of Compaq on Friday and launch the "new HP" on Tuesday.