Bernard Hulme has resigned from Tadpole as CEO and director with immediate effect. He's available to the board for six months thereafter for advice. Hulme used to run SCO's European ops.

There's nothing in the Tadpole statement released to the London Stock Exchange today to indicate the cause of departure, so one can but speculate. But a CEO leaving immediately indicates typically that he or she was at the losing end of a boardroom argument.

David Lee, non-exec chairman, is stepping into the breech to become executive chairman. And Keith Bigsby, CFO, will assume responsibility for the company's Endeavors software line, upon which the hopes of the business is based. Their CVs can be found here

Once upon a time, Tadpole was a niche maker of SPARC laptops and sundry hardware; now it is a niche designer of enterprise software apps through its Endeavor business unit and mapping through its Cartesia division. The challenge now for the company is to start winning some serious business and making some serious profits. ®