Giant Tech offers glimpse into key mega trends that shape the world of the future.
"Responding to change is fine," Rob Mesaros noted, before pausing.
But when addressing an audience of key channel partners in Melbourne, that was never going to be the takeaway line.
"It's better to lead it," added Mesaros, speaking as vice president and managing director of HP South Pacific.
"But do not understand it and let it wash over you, well, there are corporate cemeteries full of iconic companies with which we have all grown."
At one point, industry critics were digging the grave of HP as well. Qualified as a "lost cause" with a double-digit drop in PC shipments, this was no longer a titan of technology, but a dinosaur in time borrowed.
And even the most ardent of supporters would have had to agree, because before 2015, the future seemed gloomy for one of the most emblematic brands in the industry.
A much-needed break with Hewlett Packard Enterprise continued and since it officially came out only on November 1, 2015, the vendor has excelled, overtaking a "challenging and somewhat volatile" industry to move towards a leading position in the market.
Driven by a revamped PC strategy, strategic vertical games and a push in premium devices, it's a well-documented story for the most agile and focused HP.
"We've had great times, we've had tough times, but fundamentally what has stood the test of time is a powerful reach of channel partners with capabilities involved in innovation and ensuring that it is customer focused and looking forward "Added Mesaros, in a direct tip of the hat to local partners.
"We are responding to change and HP has been accelerating innovation since we separated."
As you look ahead, a healthy HP is receding from chaos to delineate the mega trends set forth to shape the future world.
"How do we take this change instead of being led by it?" Asked HP Tech Ventures vice president and global chief Andrew Bolwell.
Specifically, HP is perfecting in four mega trends in 2017 and beyond.
In a direct reference to rapid urbanization, with more people moving to cities, the ripple effect will be an addition of 1.8 billion new consumers in the world economy, 95 percent of those in emerging markets.
According to Bolwell, this will lead to a major shift towards services and new business models.
Second, the evolution of the world's demographics show an aging population and a new generation of millenarian consumption technology in different forms. For Bolwell, both will impact the workplace in equal measure.
As a result of hyper-globalization, Bolwell said the industry is seeing an increase in the number of companies that are changing the basis of competition, such as Uber.
To stay ahead, Bolwell advised partners to focus on local markets and their requirements, as well as creating collaborative strategies across boundaries.
Citing the growth of hyper-mobility, the Internet of Things, intelligent machines and 3D transformation, Bolwell added that accelerated innovation in the market will change the customer's future demands and emerging opportunities for the channel as a consequence.
"At HP, we are using mega trends to identify future research areas for our labs, understanding what start-ups to invest in and how to improve our products and services so that we can meet the needs of our partners and end users in the future" "Bolwell said.
As a first step, Bolwell advised organizations to have an "open mind" when it comes to technology and innovation.
"You have to break yourself before someone does," he added. "At HP, we want to see how we can [work with partners and end users] to create the most compelling future possible."
