Should RIM/Blackberry and HP Merge?

A few months ago, Anton Wahlman in his TheStreet article predicted that Google would acquire a phone manufacturer. His prediction was that it would be RIM; right analysis, but on the wrong company.

However, now we are in a situation where RIM is probably a good target. Like HP, RIM’s stock has taken a hit and the new CEO has a rough road ahead of him.

Additionally, I wrote last week about the need for HP to find a path way as its stock is no longer a darling.

So now let’s pretend we had the money to make a merger. Would these two companies be a good mix? 

HP has been a consumer of companies in the past and its still unclear if the company has the stomach to do anything more? HP has been massive in its acquisitions such as Digital, Tandem, Compaq, etc. All big moves and yet it’s the Palm acquisition that has made the company gag.

RIM, on the other hand, has acquired well, but never particularly adventurously. RIM acquires based on need and lets things work themselves out.   

If the two companies were foodies we could say one is anorexic and the other bulimic.

So how do we get these two to the table?  

I think the answer is we have to find a big enough baseline customer for them to care and the logical answer is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

A DHS RFP that requires North American sourcing on Disaster Recovery and Emergency Services would bring these two companies into each others arms. Alternatively, a simple OS IPR agreement between the two companies might also be the trick to starting the relationship.

And let’s be clear, they need to find each other. The market caps of other major players indicate consolidation is a must. And if they can’t come together they will be consumed separately.

It’s just a matter of time.