Hewlett-Packard is one of the leading companies worldwide in the computer and communications industries. In 2000 it was ranked by Fortune magazine as the #2 U.S.-based company in the category of computers/office equipment, and in that same year it placed #14 on the Forbes 500 composite ranking of all U.S. public companies. At the close of 2000 Hewlett-Packard employed over 88,000 people worldwide. Hewlett-Packard (HP) designs and produces an entire range of products for the consumer, commercial, and government markets. These products include personal computers, printers, and calculators. Besides individual products, HP creates, services, and supports entire computer and communication systems for the commercial and governmental sectors. Moreover, Hewlett-Packard has long been a leader in the electronics test and measurement market for both field and laboratory work.

Besides being one of the leading electronics companies in the world, Hewlett-Packard is historically important because it had a profound impact on the...