by Anton Shilov
09/29/2006 | 10:43 PM
HP, a leading maker of personal computers and servers, has announced that it had reached an agreement under which it would acquire VoodooPC, a maker of high-performance systems for gamers and enthusiasts. The announcement follows acquisition of VoodooPC’s rival Alienware by Dell Inc. earlier this year.
<%BANNER[article]%>Following the close of the transaction, HP will form a separate business unit within its personal systems group focused on the gaming industry. VoodooPC co-owner Rahul Sood will become chief technologist for the unit and co-owner Ravi Sood will become the unit’s director of strategy and marketing.
The merge with HP will allow VoodooPC to obtain components for personal computers at a lower price, something which Alienware enjoys after being absorbed by Dell, meaning that high-performance gaming systems will be more affordable. While HP has been trying to enter the lucrative market of advanced machines for gamers with its Compaq X brand, it has never managed to attract a lot of attention to such computers.
HP plans to maintain VoodooPC’s current distribution model and brand name along with its marketing, sales, support and development operations, according to the company. Earlier this year Dell also retained business model of Alienware.
“Our passion at VoodooPC has been to design the highest performance, personalized PCs for our customers’ entertainment,” said Rahul Sood, founder and president, VoodooPC. “Customers should continue to expect the highest level of personalized configurations, service and quality. The benefits of this acquisition to VoodooPC are immense, not least of which is having a direct conduit to HP’s unparalleled innovation and international presence.”