3 [[!tag tags/freedombox]]
8 I am pleased to announce that HP accepted my application for participation
9 in this year's Enhanced Early Retirement program. After 26.5 years, my last
10 day at [HP](http://hp.com) will be 31 August 2012.
12 This isn't because I have a problem with HP, quite the contrary! I feel
13 immensely privileged to have worked on so many interesting things with so
14 many smart people for so long. And there are many exciting things happening
15 right now, including high profile projects like
16 [Odyssey](http://hp.com/go/odyssey) and [Moonshot](http://hp.com/go/moonshot)
17 expanding both ends of the server scaling continuum with Linux, and the
18 immense commitment to and investment in Open Source represented by the
19 use of [Open Stack](http://openstack.org) and [Ubuntu](http://ubuntu.com) LTS
20 in building [HP Cloud](http://hpcloud.com). The temptation to stay and
21 continue to help guide [HP's Open Source engagement](http://opensource.hp.com)
22 was strong. I'm certainly under no pressure to leave... in fact, I think I
23 managed to shock my management with my decision to retire!
25 But I'm very excited about "taking a break" from full-time employment for a
26 while to focus more time on things that matter a lot to me. My son and I
27 have a number of projects we'd like to work on together as he enters high
28 school. The side business I started two years ago with
29 [Keith Packard](http://keithp.com) to design, build, and sell
30 [avionics solutions for high power model rockets](http://altusmetrum.org)
31 is growing and could use more attention. I'm in the midst of designing the
32 processor board for another
33 [amateur radio satellite](http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/fox/). And
34 of course, I'm looking forward to putting more "quality time" towards
35 Free Software projects like [FreedomBox](http://freedomboxfoundation.org)
36 and [Debian](http://debian.org)!
38 Since they do not depend on my employment status, I do not expect any
39 immediate changes in the various roles I play outside of HP. I will continue
40 to serve on the board of the [Linux Foundation](http://linuxfoundation.org)
41 representing individual affiliates, on the board of the
42 [FreedomBox Foundation](http://freedomboxfoundation.org), as Chairman
43 of the [Debian Technical Committee](http://www.debian.org/devel/tech-ctte.html),
44 and as President of [Software in the Public Interest](http://spi-inc.org). And
45 while I hope to travel less than I have in recent years, I look forward to
46 continuing to speak and otherwise participate in key Free Software conferences
47 around the world from time to time.
49 After I retire, the primary point of contact with HP on Open Source matters
50 will be the Director of HP's Open Source Program Office,
51 [Phil Robb](mailto:phil.robb@hp.com). But if there are open issues regarding
52 HP and Open Source that I can help with over the next month, feel free to
53 contact me and I'll see what I can do to help.