When Rahul and Ravi Sood founded VoodooPC Inc., the idea they would become the PC equivalent of Lamborghini makers never occurred to them. Yet the humble repair shop the pair started 15 years ago in Calgary has evolved into one of the world's most-respected custom PC manufacturers.
The machines they build -- like high-performance sports cars -- are expensive, innovative and gorgeous. With each generation of desktops and laptops, the Sood brothers set new standards for power and style, along the way developing and patenting building methods the entire industry would try to emulate.
With more of an interest in building perfect computers than churning out high volumes of generic PCs, the brothers sacrificed rapid growth for excellence. Yet it was just such an emphasis on quality over quantity that caught the eye of one of the world's largest computer manufacturers.
Last September, Hewlett-Packard Development Company LP made an offer to the Soods, which included a provision that allowed VoodooPC to remain focused on innovation while providing access to one of the world's largest computer research and development laboratories. It was the kind of proposition the brothers had always wanted, delivering all of the advantages and few of the restrictions that go along with being swallowed up by a mega-company.
Voodoo PC’s Ravi Sood shows off one of his gaming computers to Chenieze Burrough, a student from the Katherine Gibbs School, at the Digital Life show as part of the HP booth at the Javits Centre in New York. (Marty Katz)
"The acquisition is a testament to innovation," said Rahul, the younger of the two. As part of the acquisition, Rahul Sood was named Chief Technologist for HP gaming and given a seat on HP's Research Development Council for its Personal Systems Group, while Ravi became HP's director of strategy and marketing for gaming.
The deal, the financial details of which were not made public, follows Dell Inc.'s acquisition of Miami-based Alienware Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of high-end gaming PCs, last March.
While VoodooPC may be relatively small, its standing among PC enthusiasts is unrivalled. The firm's portfolio is lined with firsts, many of which have been advances in cooling techniques. Voodoo developed the world's first liquid-cooled PCs, as well as the first completely silent, fanless systems. Plus, they have won top honours at technology media conglomerate Ziff Davis's prestigious Ultimate Gaming Machine Showdown -- a competition that puts the world's top gaming rigs through rigorous performance tests -- five years running.
Although analysts peg Alienware's annual sales in the neighbourhood of $200-million (U.S.) versus Voodoo's $10-million, HP still viewed the Canadian company as the perfect fit for their strategy gaming industry.
"There are three essential aspects to the gaming industry," said Phil McKinney, vice-president and chief technology officer, Personal Systems Group. "Game creation, infrastructure, and end-user experience. HP workstations are utilized for game creation and HP technology and servers power the industry-leading online games. With the acquisition of VoodooPC, we felt that HP could be the leader in all three aspects of the gaming industry."
Voodoo also provides HP with a means to quickly bring to market innovations generated by its annual $3.5-billion research and development investment. "We can tap into HP's labs," Ravi said. "They have 750 scientists, and they're excited to unleash some really cool [technology] through a fast business model."
Voodoo products
Omen Elemental
Features an advanced liquid cooling system and comes standard with top-of-the-line Motherboard, processor and graphics card.
Starts at $13,600 (U.S.)
Aria Quiet Media Centre
A stylish living room centrepiece featuring an integrated touch screen colour LCD.
Starts at $3,700 (U.S.)
Envy HU:909
A powerful notebook featuring dual Nvidia graphic cards and a massive 19-inch monitor. Weighs in at 16 lbs, about three times the heft of a standard notebook.
Starts at $4,500 (U.S.)
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