Editing Compaq (section)

{{Short description|American information technology company}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Compaq Computer Corporation
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| trade_name = Compaq
| traded_as = {{NYSE was|CPQ}}<ref>{{cite web | last=Staff writer | date=January 2, 2002 | url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/compaq-buys-back-1-bln-in-stock/ | title=Compaq buys back $1 bln in stock | work=CNET | publisher=Red Ventures }}</ref>
| logo = Compaq logo 1993.svg<!-- Please stop replacing this with the 2007 logo; the infobox is about the company BEFORE being acquired by HP; Compaq was never a subsidiary of HP under their ownership, just a brand -->
| logo_caption = Wordmark logo used from 1993 to 2007{{efn|A slightly modified version of the wordmark logo appeared as early as 1998, with some minor modifications to the letterforms, and was used alongside the 1993 version from 1998 to 2007.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Greene | first=Tim | date=June 15, 1998 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/215962238/ | title=Compaq airs post-merger plan | journal=Network World | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=15 | issue=24 | page=7 | via=ProQuest}}</ref>}}
| image = HewlettPackardCampusHarrisCoTX.png
| image_caption = Aerial photo of Compaq's former headquarters in unincorporated [[Harris County, Texas]] (circa 2002)
| genre = Computer
| successor = Itself (as a brand of Hewlett-Packard; 2002−2013)<br/>[[Hewlett-Packard]] (2013−2015)<br/>[[HP Inc.]] (2015−present){{efn|Some remnants of Compaq (such as the [[HP ProLiant|ProLiant]] server line) are currently owned by [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] {{asof|lc=y|2017}}.}}
| founders = [[Rod Canion]]<br/>[[Jim Harris (entrepreneur)|Jim Harris]]<br/>Bill Murto
| foundation = {{start date and age|1982|2|16}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|2002}} (as a separate company)<br/>{{end date and age|2013}} (as a brand of HP; still active outside of the US)<!--Check the address and you will see it is outside of the Houston city limits-->
| location_city = [[Harris County, Texas]]
| location_country = U.S.
| locations = 
| area_served = {{hlist|United States|Canada|United Kingdom|Brazil|Argentina|India}}
| industry = [[Computer hardware]]<br/>[[Computer software]]
| products = [[Desktop computer|Desktops]], [[laptop]]s, servers, telecom equipment, software
| owner = 
| fate = Acquired by [[Hewlett-Packard]], brand name retired by HP in 2013
| subsid = [[Tandem Computers]]<br/>[[Digital Equipment Corporation]]
| footnotes = 
| website = {{Plain list|
* Former brand website: {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010711121953/http://www.compaq.com/|title=compaq.com}}
* Current brand website: {{URL|https://compaq.com}}
}}
| intl = 
}}

'''Compaq Computer Corporation'''{{Efn|Sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to the 2007 rebranding}} was an American [[information technology|information]] [[technology company]] founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced some of the first [[IBM PC compatible]] computers, being the second company after [[Columbia Data Products]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=14Kfbrc6cbAC&pg=PA451 Aboard the Columbia], By Bill Machrone, p. 451, Jun 1983, PC Mag.</ref> to legally [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineer]] the [[BIOS]] of the [[IBM Personal Computer]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://oldcomputers.net/compaqi.html |title = Compaq I Portable computer |access-date = 29 June 2016 }}</ref><ref>[http://oldcomputers.net/byte-compaq.html ''The Compaq computer is a full-function portable business computer that resembles the IBM PC in almost every way...'', Byte review]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513152926/http://oldcomputers.net/byte-compaq.html |date=May 13, 2010 }}.</ref> It rose to become the [[Market share of personal computer vendors|largest supplier of PC systems]] during the 1990s. The company was initially based in [[Harris County, Texas]].

The company was formed by [[Rod Canion]], [[Jim Harris (entrepreneur)|Jim Harris]], and [[Bill Murto]], all of whom were former [[Texas Instruments]] senior managers. All three had left by 1991 under a shakeup, which saw [[Eckhard Pfeiffer]] appointed president and CEO, serving through the 1990s. [[Benjamin M. Rosen|Ben Rosen]] provided the [[venture capital financing]] for the fledgling company and served as chairman of the board for 17 years from 1983 until September 28, 2000, when he retired and was succeeded by [[Michael Capellas]], who served as its last chairman and CEO until its merger.<ref name="h41131.www4.hp.com">{{cite web |title=Compaq Names Michael Capellas Chairman |url=http://h41131.www4.hp.com/za/en/press/Compaq_Names_Michael_Capellas_Chairman.html |access-date=2012-08-26 |publisher=H41131.www4.hp.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Compaq Appoints Michael D. Capellas President and Chief Executive Officer |url=http://h41131.www4.hp.com/za/en/press/Compaq_Appoints_Michael_D_Capellas_President_and_Chief_Executive_Officer.html |access-date=2012-08-26 |publisher=H41131.www4.hp.com}}</ref>

In 1999, Compaq was overtaken by [[Dell]] as the top global [[Personal computer|PC]] maker.<ref name="dellovertake99">Rivkin, Jan W., and Porter, Michael E. Matching Dell, Harvard Business School Case 9-799-158, June 6, 1999.</ref> It briefly regained the top spot in 2000 before being overtaken again by Dell in 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-04-20 |title=Dell becomes world's top PC maker |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1287345.stm |access-date=2024-09-21 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Struggling to keep up against its competitors with the launch of a [[joint venture]] with [[ADI Corporation]] in 1994, the price wars against Dell, as well as a risky acquisition of [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] in 1998 (which includes the inheritance of the [[DEC Alpha]] family of CPUs),<ref>[http://www.mhhe.com/business/management/updates/thompson12e/case/dell10.html Dell Computer Corporation Online Case] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130104110939/http://www.mhhe.com/business/management/updates/thompson12e/case/dell10.html |date=2013-01-04 }}. Mhhe.com. Retrieved on 2016-06-10.</ref> Compaq was acquired by [[Hewlett-Packard]] (HP) for US$25 billion in 2002.<ref name="compaq a">{{cite press release |title = Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Agree to Merge, Creating $87 Billion Global Technology Leader |publisher = Hewlett-Packard |date = September 3, 2001 |url = http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2001/010904a.html |access-date = October 4, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="compaq b">{{cite news |url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E7DE1739F937A3575AC0A9679C8B63 |title = Hewlett-Packard in Deal to Buy Compaq for $25 Billion in Stock |date = 2001-09-04 |newspaper = The New York Times |access-date = October 4, 2008 |url-access=limited }}</ref> The Compaq brand remained in use by HP for lower-end systems until 2013 when it was discontinued;<ref>{{cite web |author = Chris Ziegler |url = https://www.theverge.com/2012/5/23/3039627/hp-compaq-low-end-branding |title = 'HP Compaq' branding to end next year, Compaq name will live on for 'basic computing at entry-level pricing' |website = The Verge |date = 2012-05-23 |access-date = 2012-11-16 }}</ref> HP itself was later split into two companies in 2015, leading to its legal successors [[HP Inc.]] and [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Supantha |last2=Chan |first2=Edwin |date=October 6, 2014 |title=Hewlett-Packard to split into two public companies, lay off 5,000 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hp-restructuring-idUSKCN0HV0U720141006 |access-date=May 6, 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

{{asof|2025}}, the Compaq brand is currently licensed to third parties outside of the United States for use on electronics in Brazil, Mexico and India.<!--Check the address and you will see it is outside of the Houston city limits--><ref name="compaqglobalk" /><ref name="compawossify" />