Analyst: HP's loss competitors' gain?

Carly Fiorina's departure as Hewlett-Packard Co.'s chairman and chief executive -- with no permanent replacement lined up -- could be a marketing boon for HP competitors in the government market, one analyst suggested.

Other companies have avoided similar uncertainties by creating transition plans and making them public, said Samir Bhavnani, a senior analyst at Current Analysis, Sterling, Va.

HP competitors such as Dell Inc. -- the big winner in this shake-up -- now can go to government organizations and claim that HP doesn't have a leader or a cohesive plan for the future, he said. HP and Dell government unit officials could not be reached for comment.