Hewlett Packard to buy Opsware and Neoware

Hewlett-Packard said today that it will buy software companies Opsware and Neoware Inc. for a sum of $214 million to boost its business in helping companies manage data centers.

HP has spent $6.5 billion in recent years, buying software companies that included Mercury Interactive Corp. last year for $4.5 billion and Peregrine Systems for $425 million in 2005.

Currently, HP is the global leader in personal computer making and has been expanding in software in order to supplement its biggest businesses of making computers.

“It is likely that HP will continue to be acquisitive in its software portfolio,” Thomas Hogan, senior vice president of HP software.

“There are other parts of the portfolio that are separate from the area of information technology operations and automation … that we will continue to explore,” he said.

HP has offered $14.25 for each share of Opsware, a 38.6% premium

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