HP Enterprise strikes $8.8 billion deal with Micro Focus for software assets

By Paul Sandle and Liana B. Baker LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Enterprise agreed to sell its software business to Micro Focus in a $8.8 billion deal that shrinks the Silicon Valley pioneer again while catapulting the little-known British firm into the top tier of European tech companies. HPE Chief Executive Meg Whitman is focusing the group on a few areas such as networking, storage and technology services since it separated last year from computer and printer maker HP Inc. "Micro