Shares in Hewlett-Packard have fallen sharply on news that it is buying UK software firm Autonomy and may sell its PC business.

有消息称惠普计划购买英国软件公司Autonomy并可能出售个人电脑事业部，其股价因此大幅下跌。

HP's future plans also include no longer selling smartphones and tablet computers and refocusing on selling software.

HP shares fell 20% in Friday trading to close at $23.58.

HP's £7.1bn ($11.7bn) offer for Autonomy, accepted by Autonomy's board, is 64% above the firm's market value.

HP's PC business is the world's largest, but by the end of next year, HP computers could be sold under another company's name.

'Strong starting point'

Analysts² say the move underscores（强调） Apple's dominance in smartphones and tablets with its iPhone and iPad products.

"Apple single-handedly knocked HP out of the PC, smartphone and tablet business," said Gleacher & Co analyst¹ Brian Marshall.

The new strategy means that HP, which will continue to sell servers and other equipment to business customers, will follow the path taken by IBM in 2005, sidelining PC hardware in favour of more profitable software and services.

Analyst Milan Radia at Jefferies said the deal gave HP an "exceptionally strong starting point" in the enterprise software market.

"Today, software accounts for only about 2% of HP's revenue," he said. "By way of comparison, IBM's software journey only commenced in 2001 with a $1bn acquisition（获得物） , followed by a series of major transactions."