An interesting new report has been posted by Engadget giving a plethora of hints as to the drama leading up to last month’s Palm acquisition news courtesy of the recent SEC filing. HP is the only company named but anyone with a bit of imagination and familiarity with recent Palm history can likely surmise most of the other suitors.
Some of the highlights from the story include a rather abrupt timeframe leading up to the close of the deal. Likely spurred on by the upcoming grim earnings announcement and the dismal Verizon webOS launch, Palm commenced efforts in early February to investigate strategic partnerships, webOS licensing, and an outright sale of the company. By early March, the ironic 10-year anniversary of Palm’s hotly-anticipated IPO a decade ago, Palm’s board determined that a sale of the company was the most favorable move, despite CEO Jon Rubinstein’s proclamations otherwise as recently as less than a week prior to the HP acquisition.
