The purchase by Micro Focus of the software business of Hewlett Packard has taken a year almost to the day and it has been a difficult process at times. This is the biggest deal in the company’s history and there are always doubts over any big UK purchase of a US company.
The core operations in both businesses are in relative decline and they’ve been moving to bolt on more exciting new lines. Micro Focus shocked the market in May when it, or in reality its pending US purchase, announced a 9 per cent fall in revenues in the second quarter. This could have been down to the inevitable disruption and client loss for a business that was about to change ownership, or it could