HP takes long term view
2013-03-08 09:45
Cape Town - Despite going through some difficult times, Hewlett-Packard is determined to refocus its business on technology, the company said.
HP South Africa's PSG Category Manager, Yesh Surjoodeen, chatted to News24 about the declining computer market and how the company was going to adapt its strategy.
News24: Is the consumer PC market dead?
Yesh Surjoodeen: No, definitely not! But it is in a state of evolution, especially if you look at the leaps in technology and form factors available in the market.
The South African computer user has never had a greater range of choices available to choose from, or more convenient ways to buy them, thanks to some innovative offers from banks and mobile companies. This has considerably changed the dynamics of how a consumer buys a PC today.
News24: How can ultrabooks take away market share from tablets?
Surjoodeen: They're not really going to because Ultrabooks and tablets are two radically different products for quite different purposes. People are hugely interested in tablets, and there's a great emotional impulse - but the sheer practicality of an Ultrabook is as clear as day.
News24: Is HP prepared to re-enter the tablet space?
Surjoodeen: Yes, absolutely. We're doing a huge amount of market research and product positioning around tablets, and we're very clear on what products we're going to be taking to market. But we certainly aim to be serious players here.
News24: How does HP plan to manage supply chains in light of the changing mobile market?
Surjoodeen: We've been supplying worldwide for years, and we're simply using our own technology to become even more efficient in driving our worldwide presence.
News24: Who does HP consider the most important competition?
Surjoodeen: With the sheer amount of customer choice today, practically every vendor in our market is a potential competitor. That said, I would also say we're our own biggest competition: if we decide to do something and we do it right, then we lead. That's certainly the plan for HP in the coming years.
News24: In terms of PC platform, is Linux an option that HP considers for future machines?
Surjoodeen: Hmmm. Good question. It's an issue that's been talked about before. Fact is, for us, it's all about giving customers what they want. So if we see the demand, we'll make the investment.
News24: Is the 'PC home' (connected appliances) ever going to be a reality?
Surjoodeen: I think it's already a reality to some extent. We're seeing more and more devices being connected to each other and the internet - hence the term "the internet of things". There's a clear demand for connected devices, and we're delighted to play in this space.
