I don't know of anyone pining for a corporate master... do you? Maybe you're reading too much into this.
I think if the rumour is true, it would explain the mad restructuring, powering down, project cancellation, and staff layoffs. Seems to me that's the kind of thing that often happens during buyouts and mergers.
Lastly, remember that when large corporations buy small rival companies, it's not always because they want to develop and nurture them. Corps like eBay and FaceBook have been buying up smaller similar companies for years, for example.