Tuesday, April 24, 2007

HP Tech Con

This week it is easy to get a good parking spot at HP Labs, because HP’s technical conference is taking place in San Antonio. HP Tech Con, the premiere internal conference for HP’s technologists, brings together a cross-section of technical leaders from a wide range of disciplines from around the company. The conference recognizes some of the company’s most promising work enhances collaboration and visibility for top-tier technologies and continues to be a driving force in the role of technical innovation at HP.

I posted a couple of entries in this blog on the demise of industrial research in the U.S. HP is an exception, because as CEO Mark Hurd likes to point out, "we are one of only a handful of systems companies left on the planet that invests in significant R&D. My goal is for HP to be the R&D leader in the areas strategic to HP and our customers. I want them to think of HP as a company that's driving useful innovation and bringing it to market in the most efficient way possible to help them solve problems or improve their lives."

In this spirit, EVP Shane Robison, one of the world's most influential chief technology officers, every year organizes an HP-wide technical conference. This year is the fifth. The elite of HP’s top 1.7% technologists are invited to this event, which is HP’s primary vehicle for sharing, communicating and displaying technical work across disciplines and organizations.

It is an investment in HP's technology leadership, and "by invitation" means that it is centrally organized and financed. Thus, it does not impact project’s budget and top performers are truly rewarded.

Tech Con is designed to foster a sense of community, and stimulate collaboration and enthusiasm across HP’s diverse, talented community of technical contributors. Participating technologists are energized in seminars by key executives and participate in team-building activities. Technologies such as blogs and SharePoint are used to keep everybody involved 24 hours a day in a total immersion. In addition, these technologies also allow HP’s other technologists to participate in this important event, shifted in time and space.

The conference hosts topics spanning areas where HP possesses unique technical capability that can be applied to current business interests and/or leveraged across HP’s portfolio to drive new growth.

"HP’s unique competitive advantage and technical edge are based on our ability to collaborate globally across a wide range of disciplines," said Shane Robison, EVP, and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, who sponsors HP Tech Con ’07. "This year, I look forward to the conference and the continued impact that it will have on HP. Tech Con ’07 promises to be as stimulating as those in the past."

PS: Here are the links mentioned in the comments:

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