At the inauguration of Hewlett-Packard`s international invent centre in Geneva, Switzerland, the Chancellor of the Canton, Robert Hensler, described how the centre developed Switzerland`s first e-voting system.
The system, being piloted this year, is expected to be rolled out to citizens in the first half of 2002.
The invent centre was created to offer a forum for HP customers and prospects to hold workshops to discuss how new technologies can be applied to creatively and rapidly solve existing problems.
"New technology comes into society abruptly," says Hensler, "and it brings changes in mores, attitudes, perceptions and practices. Like businesses have to rethink their strategy and blend innovation and transformation, so does the state. The HP invent centre as a concept is particularly well suited to Geneva, which has a history of being home to many multinational companies, and a centre of invention."
HP won the contract to supply and implement Geneva`s e-voting initiative against six competing bidders. A major reason was the invent centre`s ability to create a concept or prototype application in only a matter of days.
"The discovery process we employ at the invent centre," says Alfonso Pecorelli, manager of the centre, "has been well-tested in HP Consulting. What we do here is bring the top executives from customers together with a dozen or so innovators at the centre, as well as `virtual` experts from within HP and from partner companies. This enables us to approach problems not only innovatively, but from a business point of view, rather than just as IT projects."
Pecorelli admits that the return on HP`s substantial investment in the centre is an unknown at this stage. He points out, however, that even without much push from HP`s side, the invent centre has generated a lot of interest among companies such as Geneva International Airport, Lufthansa, Procter & Gamble, Hoffmann-la-Roche, VP Bank Liechtenstein, and even from as far as Aeroflot.
The centre is intended to serve HP customers and prospective customers internationally. "The process for South African companies to gain access to the invent centre is the same as for anyone else. There is a fee attached," Pecorelli points out, "but the centre itself does not generate high profit for HP."
He adds: "The intention is not to force companies into committing to HP-led projects, but rather to foster creative approaches to problems and develop new ways of looking at business issues." This, he hopes, will convince companies that HP is the right partner with which to face the challenges of a rapidly changing commercial world.
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