Autonomy Systems Ltd
Autonomy Systems Ltd was a British software company, owned by holding company Autonomy Corporation Ltd (ACL).[1]
Contents
Foundation
Autonomy was founded in 1996, based on research at the University of Cambridge.[2]
Apax Partners sold a stake in Autonomy for £1 billion in 2001.[3]
Richard Perle controversy
Richard Perle was a director of Autonomy Corporation Ltd from 2000 to 2010.[4]
This was one of a number of directorships cited by the US press in a controversy over Perle's links with defence companies prior to his resignation as chairman of the Defense Policy Board in 2003.[5]
Intelligence clients
In early 2003, Autonomy founder Mike Lynch stated that the threat of war in Iraq had helped sales to intelligence agencies, as 'defence issues come more to mind, which frees up the mind to spend.'[6]
In 2003, the Guardian reported that a third of Autonomy's £60 million turnover came from intelligence agencies. Clients were said to include MI6 and GCHQ in the UK, The National Security Agency, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security in the United States, as well as intelligence agencies in Italy.[6]
Hewlett Packard takeover
Autonomy was was sold to Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2011.[1] Following the replacement of HP CEO Mike Apotheker by Meg Whitman, Autonomy founder Mike Lynch was sacked in May 2012.
Hewlett Packard wrote down the value of Autonomy by £5.5 billion in November 2012, contributing to a $6.9 billion quarterly loss for the US company. Lynch accused HP of blaming his management team for its own failings.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Juliette Garside, Autonomy made 80% less UK profit than stated, Hewlett-Packard finds, theguardian.com, 3 February 2014.
- ↑ CAMBRIDGE ESSENTIAL TO AUTONOMY’S FUTURE, Business Weekly, 17 February 2011.
- ↑ Jonathan Lambeth, Autonomy stake nets Apax £1bn, The Telegraph, 26 February 2001.
- ↑ Mr Richard Perle, companycheck.co.uk, accessed 1 April 2014.
- ↑ Tim Shorrock, Richard Perle's Corporate Adventures, The Nation, 3 April 2003.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 David Leigh, Pentagon hawk linked to UK intelligence company, Guardian, 21 March 2003.
