HP to Acquire Palm for $1.2 Billion

HP has just announced that it will acquire smart phone maker Palm for $1.2 billion. Palm has been troubled for some time–while the Palm Pre was an interesting smart phone with innovative software, sales remained disappointing.

HP named the Palm Pre’s webOS software as a major part of its motivation for the acquisition. It’s good to see webOS get a second chance. Aside from enabling HP to enter the smart phone market, it’ll be interesting to see if HP finds ways to incorporate the operating system into other devices. HP has been exploring directions such as Web-connected printers, which seem like natural beneficiaries of Palm’s intellectual property.