RECESSION STIMULATES GROWTH IN HP, SAYS KOCH
Managing Director, Hewlett Packard Africa, (HP) Mr. Rainer Koch, has said that the current Global Economic crisis is affecting many companies worldwide, has rather stimulated growth in HP.
Speaking at the company's just concluded sixth Executive Annual Conference Technology in Banjul, The Gambia, revealed its growth strategy to its customers and partners, noted that HP has developed structures and institutions that enable it to withstand the hazards of the global financial meltdown. .
'Each crisis has risks and opportunities, In HP we saw it as an opportunity. As the biggest IT company in the world, we always plan for the future and it did not come to us as a surprise. Generally, HP products are well-accepted in the market and we gained market share as well as meet our target profit, yearly. At this time, we believe we are even getting stronger despite the crisis', he said.
According to him, for Africa, what HP takes out of the crisis is that in order to be stronger, the company looked forward for the global market to emerge in regions and Africa surpassed other regions. 'So we decided to invest more in Africa despite the crisis because we see potential market in it'.
Justifying the theme of the conference: 'Thriving in unpredictability', he told the gathering comprising of key customers and partners, that HP has witnessed tremendous growth as exemplified in the company's quarterly results due to be made public soon. 'We are really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Our new fiscal year has already started and our first quarter is over and I cannot tell too much because we will publish our quarterly results soon, but what I can say actually is that we have seen trends of recovery really', he said.
On strategy to further the growth of the company in Africa, Koch said that HP will like to bring its entire products and services portfolio from other parts of the world to Africa and to establish its presence here. 'The strategy is to make our presence more prominent in Africa. Basically, we are present in almost all countries except countries where there are embargo on our products and our services are available through distributors, partners and subsidiaries and we are planning to establish 10 more subsidiaries in the next two to three years in various countries of Africa', he said. This, he said, is to further emphasise the level of investment to be done in Africa.
He said HP would further deepen its bond with their customers, saying the company is always interested in long-term partnership. 'The major impact of the conference is to continuously work on that relationship with our major customers. So what we are dong here on one hand, is presenting to our customers our latest technology and IT trends and on the other hand, we take the opportunity to listen to our customers on what is important to them in other to have the right products and services to offer to the market', he said.
He described Nigeria's market as very significant for HP as it constitutes the second biggest market for HP in Africa after South Africa. HP's products, according to him, are number one and well accepted in the entire market it operates. He said 'nowadays, our customers can buy all HP products and services either directly from HP or our partners anywhere in Africa and have the same experience in terms of products and support services as customers from other parts of the world'.