Of course we should also consider whether Compaq engaged with local regulations competently and whether the time it took is a product of the regulations or Compaq's incompetence.

From the couple of people I know who worked for Compaq in Europe when Digital was taken over, the general lack of planning by Compaq turned what would have been at most a six month situation into a year long one.

It's also worth noting that the "year" quoted includes not just employee issues, but also disposal of other assets (e.g. land) which make the whole measurement period somewhat skewed in itself.