Ghosts of Computer Associates Haunt CA

Some name changes work out splendidly. Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. Andersen Consulting to Accenture. The Highlanders to The New York Yankees. Great moves.

But The VAR Guy grows skeptical when tech companies run from their past. Remember when Borland Software briefly became Inprise–only to revert to Borland? Or how about USWeb/CKS re-branding itself as MarchFIRST before imploding? Another personal favorite: early LAN specialist Banyan Systems changing its name twice (to Banyan Worldwide and ePresence) before folding into Unisys.

Scary stuff. Still, those horror stories can’t match the fright fest out in Islandia, N.Y., where Computer Associates International has spent the past year trying to re-brand the company as CA Inc.. Alas, those efforts have been overshadowed by the company’s ongoing financial and management problems.

Several big investors want CA to dump board members who didn’t spot former CEO Sanjay Kumar’s creative accounting techniques. Frustrated investors are expected to stand up to CA’s board during a meeting in Manhattan this Monday.

CA has two options: Keep the board intact and maintain a reputation for poor business controls. Or shake up the board and send a clear signal that CA’s changes go beyond the company’s name.