HP Innovation Journal Issue 02: Spring 2016 | Page 7

Megatrends at work As technology components mature and become commoditized, they become the building blocks for new breakthroughs to emerge. And this is why the rapid pace of change we are experiencing today is only going to accelerate moving forward. Electricity evolved from standalone gener- ators to utilities, that now power computing. Computing evolved from standalone serv- ers to cloud computing. Cloud computing enabled Big Data, which more and more is now also evolving to a utility model. And as that happens, Big Data is giving rise to new technologies like Intelligent Assistants. It’s technology’s equivalent to the Circle of Life. As technology leaders and innovators it will be up to us to look out for new emerging technologies on the horizon, that will them- selves one day become the future building blocks for huge new markets. At HP we look at these Megatrends through the lens of our Blended Reality vision. This allows us to identify new technologies and business models that will help fuse our physical and digital worlds, reinventing and creating new experiences for everyone, ev- erywhere. The emerging technology areas that we believe will be the building blocks for our future success are HyperMobility, Immersive Experiences, 3D Transformation, Internet of All Things and Smart Machines. Business teams across HP are starting to use an understanding of these Megatrends combined with our technology vision to identify new opportunities for market transformation and future success. And while Megatrends won’t give us all the answers, they can be a beacon for where the world is headed, giving us the opportunity to adapt, chart, and reinvent our own future. The opportunity is ours. For article references see back cover Andrew Bolwell is VP, Global Head of Technology Vision and HP Ventures, responsible for driving HP’s long- term technology vision, and for corporate venturing activities, working across start-up and venture capital communities to identify, source, commercialize and invest in early-stage disruptive technologies. Big-picture building blocks for HP strategy There are many considerations that in- form the development of an overarching strategy for the new HP, and the product and services models we are creating. What can we build, based on the amazing technology capabilities unfolding every day in our own labs and elsewhere across our industry? What should we build, to help our customers realize their immedi- ate and future business objectives? What must we build, based on where the world is headed demographically, economically, environmentally? The latter question is where our Megatrends effort comes into play most directly. Megatrends research was a crit- ical point of input in the strategic process this past winter, leading to a pivotal gath- ering of HP leadership at the start of this year. We looked at strategic choice points based on megatrends as well as core as- sumptions around factors including mar- ket outlook, customer and industry direc- tions, investor perspectives, competitive dynamics. We debated and established priorities around our product direction, service models, geographic focus, and more. As this issue goes to press, teams across the new HP are putting forward their ideas and proposals for projects and areas of investment going forward. The strategic leadership will evaluate pro- posed areas of investment and consider the anticipated trade-offs and advantag- es in each. Megatrends will help inform both the projects presented for consid- eration, and the decisions as to which projects to prioritize. The Megatrend Rapid Urbanization, for example, might lead us to look at devices tailored to urban populations: smaller, lighter devices for denser environments, and more mobility solutions for people moving around cities and coming into enterprise. For each Megatrend, we review the service model and product roadmap that will allow HP and customers to meet challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Also, as we focus more on the commercial space it’s important to reflect on how megatrends will shape manufacturing and business processes across industries. We consider megatrends relative to our focus on emerging markets as well—in- vesting in India and China, for example. As we think about some of our tech- nologies most relevant to Accelerated Innovation—Sprout and Blended Reality for example—we see special opportu- nities in a services model that allows us to innovate even more rapidly, with the ability to deploy updates and not wait for an overall product refresh. Across the new HP, there is a sustained excitement about our future as a focused, agile and innovative competitor in the global market. At the “world’s largest startup,” our work on Megatrends is not only about predicting where the world is headed, but about boldly ensuring a successful and relevant place in it for HP and our customers. Philipp Jung is Chief Strategy Officer at HP, responsible for developing profit-generating strategies, devising and evaluating new growth opportunities, and leading the strategic planning process. Innovation Journal Issue 2 7