Arun Sudhaman 15 Sep 2011 // 11:00PM GMT
CAMBRIDGE, UK--Autonomy, the UK software company that is subject to a £6.7bn takeover bid by HP, is reviewing its UK PR account, currently handled by Red Consultancy.
The Holmes Report has learned that the company issued RFIs to several tech-focused agencies for the six-figure business earlier this month.
Autonomy PR manager Emily Orton confirmed the review but said it was unconnected to the HP bid, for which financial PR is being handled by Brunswick and FD.
“We’re not necessarily changing, but we are reviewing,” said Orton, who noted that the financial PR account is excluded from the exercise. Autonomy parted ways with 13-year financial incumbent FD earlier this year in favour of Brunswick, before bringing back the former agency once the HP bid was lodged.
Red Consultancy prevailed in a 30-agency review to clinch the business in 2008. The firm has been particularly active on the new business front in recent months, winning new business from Symantec, Adobe and Boots.
If completed, HP’s takeover of Autonomy would represent the largest European IT deal, according to the FT. The American tech giant’s bid for Autonomy is part of an ambitious effort to spin off its PC manufacturing unfit, and shift to a higher-margin software and services model.
Founded in 1996, Autonomy is considered one of the UK’s technology success stories, particularly through its development of sophisticated search software.