'HP pioneered lifestyle computing'

Hewllet-Packard India, further strengthened its computing business with the announcement of its new consumer strategy targeted at e-lifestyle, with the combination of technology, design, style, service, information and insight.

Rajiev Grover, head of consumer products, HP India told R Jai Krishna and Bhaskar Hazarika of CyberMedia News that the launch of “OOMPH” product range was just the beginning of redefining lifestyle computing.

According to Grover, lifestyle computing is the third wave which is set to drive the market stronger after the information and entertainment wave, for which many had thought getting a computer was essential.

What made HP India to see lifestyle computing?

Computers have become more of a requisite now. We are witnessing the third wave of computing, which offers a 360 degree lifestyle. There is a clear shift from one phase to another as people want to move seamlessly and do the same work, listen to music and enjoy life as they are on the move. This has made us think in terms of technology and lifestyle, as the gap between the two is fast depleting. Hence, we are gearing to offer a whole experience of e-lifestyle.

How does HP India want to approach lifestyle computing in India?

In the Indian market, there is a clear migration and adoption of computers as more of a lifestyle product. Consumer expect newer features to be offered as the usages are becoming new, and this also becomes an important aspect of the market. Overall 35 per cent of lifestyle computing adoption is driven by the consumer segment, and we expect this to increase to 50 per cent in the next two years, with the new product offerings.

HP has pioneered the concept of lifestyle computing with the introduction of several category-firsts, making the Ultimate Digital Entertainment experience a reality for the consumer. The introduction of the new range further strengthens our wide-ranging lifestyle portfolio, and will help us grow the lifestyle computing market by around 50 per cent within this fiscal.

Another aspect which we will be covering in the new product offering is the design, as we feel it is essential when it comes to lifestyle computing. The new product range has been conceptualized after extensive research to offer the best Digital experience to consumers. The HP design team has combined the design philosophy with fashion elements and consumer electronic trends to offer the ideal gadgets that aren’t just PCs, but an integral part of your digital lifestyle. This is true to HP’s core philosophy of “The Computer Is Personal Again.”

What is your go-to-market strategy?

To further strengthen the leadership with an aggressive ‘go-to-market’ strategy, the company plans to expand its retail footprint across 500 cities and expand the retail partner network to over 2000 by the end of the current financial year.

We want to create an experience to the customer in the outlets in which we will display our product offering. We will also be looking at large format retail outlets, as the industry is in the infancy stage. We will be closely watching it to make a presence there also.