Meg Whitman, HP’s CEO, has confirmed that company is planning an entry into the 3D printing market and that will happen sometime in mid-2014.
Whitman, while speaking at the Canalys Channels Forum in Bangkok, said that 3D printing is a natural business for HP considering its experience with the printers. Whitman said, “We are excited about 3D printing” and “We want to lead this businesses. HP labs is looking at it.”
The CEO claimed that while 3D printing is a big opportunity, it is still in its infancy and HP was “all over it.” Whitman said, “We will have something by the middle of next year.”
Two of the main things that researchers over at HP are looking at include the time and cost involved in 3D printing an object. Giving an example, Whitman said that it takes anywhere between 8-10 hours to print a bottle and it may be interesting all the while, but “it is like watching ice melt.”
By “something”, Whitman meant a product / service aimed at service providers enabling them to establish 3D printing business. The main question HP is looking at is “how do we commercialize to print faster, at lower price points?, to enable service providers?”
Whitman believes that 3D printing will take its own time to take off – somewhere around 3 years and in the meantime HP will do its bidding and take this ‘new technology’ forward.
[Source: The Register]
