When Compaq bought Digital, it bought an ailing hardware giant with business units that significantly overlapped with Compaq's at a time when Compaq was facing its own internal problems. Integrating and managing the acquisition proved to be a more unwieldy task than predicted. By contrast, adding PricewaterhouseCoopers' division will be like adding a subsidiary. Integration issues would exist, but they would be far more manageable. One risk, however, relates to the fact that PricewaterhouseCoopers and HP may operate too independently and not complement each other.
Common wisdom says that services help sell hardware and vice versa.
In practice, it often doesn't work that way. IBM's Global Services group, for instance, is massive, but many of its hardware units have languished. Consulting groups are also generally obligated to remain objective. Services are not necessarily a demand generator for the hardware business. Other analysts raised this question as well.