Hewlett-Packard SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Hewlett-Packard is a global technology company and after its merger with Compaq it became world's biggest computer hardware and peripherals company in the world, ranking 20 in the Fortune 500 list. Company is doing business in more then 170 countries including the ones that are developing and under-developed. Being a large company gives HP many advantages like dominating the market for printers, both laser and inkjet, and both for consumers and companies using the economies of scale. The company is also taking an active role in developing the capacity of new markets all around the world, engaging with other multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations and other world governing bodies to reignite the competitiveness at home and abroad through policies and strategies that can support free-market economies. This is one of the reasons that makes HP a leading technology company in the growing IT markets (HP Annual Report, 2003).
Hewlett-Packard generated nearly $6.1 billion in cash flow from its operations and increased its cash and equivalents by 3 billion in 2003 (Datamonitor, 2004). Debt levels in this year were also very low which was significantly lower then the previous year. This is a great advantage which enables the company to increase its investments.
HP always recognized the need to compete in global markets. Product diversity of the company is another big advantage that enables the company to hold its position even i ...