IT Anthems: Hewlett-Packard (OpenMail Lament)

You may think of HP as a source of expensive printer ink, but there is a lot more to the company than that. There's a creative head of steam there that shows your stationery budget is being well spent. Go to page 2, if you want a great example of a corporate anthem that will impress you with the speed, power and passion of HP Services. But let's lead off this week with something a bit different. It's a corporate anti-anthem, a protest song. And it is one with a very serious lesson for all corporate planners: never cross a folk-singer. Once upon a time, Hewlett-Packard had an email program. From all accounts, quite a good one. But OpenMail got sidelined in favour of Microsoft Exchange, and unceremoniously dumped. At the farewell party, developer Richi Jennings and his colleagues unleashed an accordion-backed protest song, detailing the tribulations and eventual demise of their work. And lo and behold, almost overnight, the tragedy was overturned. Samsung stepped in, bought the product and renamed it Samsung Contact . Richi and his team lived happily ever after. Lyrics Audio Years ago we had a vision
To change the email scene.
Communication without limits
Unlike anything you've seen
Moved to Pinewood, started coding
For Sleepy Hollow, a new dawn
One year later,
Yes one year later,
One year later -- without fanfare! -- OpenMail was born Time went by, we added features,
Things you've never seen before.
You want clients, well we've got 'em!
Really couldn't ask for more.
In early days, we had big sales,
We thought eternity
But what was coming,
Oh what was coming,
What was coming was the evil empire and dark forces in HP (mournful accordion solo) We did our best, we had success
Didn't satisfy HP
Our customers were the biggest,
Profits there for all to see
Tried to close us -- Carly hates us!
Don't fit in the new HP
Tried to sell us -- yeah, they tried to sell us!
Tried to sell us
Tried to sell us but they messed up
OpenMail has ceased to be
Go to page for something a bit more upbeat. If you have any songs from the IT industry that you want to share with us mail us at corpanthems@zdnet.co.uk Fascinating, this tune. I don't get out much, so I only recently noticed it is a cover of "Get this party started" by some person or people called Pink. It so exactly matches the original, I thought for one moement I was hearing the HP anthem on the radio. It is probably just as well that HP commissioned new lyrics. The original lyrics I found on the web (from a duet version with someone called Redman) probably would not fit the company's corporate image. "Yo, Funk Doc walk into the club actin' rowdy, I'm houndin' for the right girl to crown me, F*ck a little bit up, lift ya shirt a bit up, Get the gentlemen off, turn the temperature up." Sing along, people! Audio (Found and hosted by our friends at Need to Know) Lyrics Weeeeeeee're teaming up
HP Services has got the power
Weeeeeeee're teaming up
Now it's time to get this party started The new HP Services is ready to roll
With speed power and passion
We can take control
Of aaaaaall the new markets now
Within our reach
Our end-to-end solutions simply can't be beat Weeeeeeee're teaming up
HP Services has got the power
(We're teaming up at HPeeee)
Weeeeeeee're teaming up
Now it's time to get this party started Our people at Portfolio are really the best
With the focus on the customer, we'll outshine the rest
We're bigger and we're better and soon you will see
That we'll be number one in the industry!
(Industry! Industry!) Weeeeeeee're gearing up
HP Services is better than ever (HP's got the power!)
Weeeeeeee're gearing up
HP Services has got it together Weeeeeeee're teaming up
HP Services has got the power (Get this party started! Oh yeah!)
Weeeeeeee're teaming up
HP Services has got the power

Weeeeeeee're teaming up - up -up
If you have any songs from the IT industry that you want to share with us mail us at corpanthems@zdnet.co.uk

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