After creating a buzz last March, by answering questions regarding the company’s plans for entering the 3D printing realm during the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard, sat down with CNBC to bring clarity to the speculation surrounding the company’s intentions.
Speculation Over HP 3D Printers
While speculators were sure that Hewlett Packard would soon assume its role in the 3D printing industry by releasing 3D printers for the home, Whitman made it very clear that the company’s focus will be on business 3D printing.
3D Technology & Innovation
During the interview, Whitman also spoke on the importance of innovation, and unveiled the company’s plan to “announce a 3D printing technology at the end of this year.”
Back in March, Whitman mentioned that the company’s focus centered on two major challenges facing the current 3D printing technology, print speeds and substrate stability.
During the conversation she also added, “We believe we have solved both these problems and we’ll be making a big technology announcement in June around how we are going to approach this.”
Will the big technology announcement revolutionize the convenience and stability of current 3D printing technology by bringing innovation to these two areas? Perhaps.
Research and Development
What Whitman does mention is the importance of research and development as well as patience in terms of how the technology advances. It’s a process that requires consistent investment.
Consumer Fulfillment Centers
With Hewlett Packard’s focus being on the business side of the industry it’s unlikely that we’ll have an HP 3D printer on our desktops any time soon, but a Q&A with Martin Fink reveals that the consumer experience will begin with individuals sending their 3D designs to a fulfillment center to be printed on HP printers.
