Davos participants get special iPaq Pocket PC

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Compared to the enthusiasm and optimism of last year's annual World Economic Forum, the global gathering this past week of 1,000 top business leaders together with several hundred political leaders, journalists, and academics and artists was quiet and somber. But there was one bright spot, almost a bit of fun, with a gift from Hewlett-Packard of the new Wi-Fi enabled HP iPaq Pocket PC to all conference participants.

Throughout the six-day meeting, participants had access to communication tools through an advanced information and communication technology system and network installed in the Davos Congress Centre and selected hotels. Three complementary components address all information and communication needs: the interactive, static Kiosks are widely distributed in strategic locations; the central Bulletin Boards provide up-to-the-minute news at a glance; and the "Davos Companions" (HP iPAQ Pocket PCs).

HP and Accenture teamed up again to support the Forum's 2003 meeting with technology that gave the world's leaders in business, government, religion, academia, media and NGOs more information and more interactivity than at previous meetings. Hotspots of wireless connectivity were situated in high-traffic areas in the Congress Centre and 14 selected hotels. For the first time, enable participants to receive e-mails and access the latest meeting information when outside the Congress Centre.

The Forum information and communication system was the result of a long-standing partnership between Accenture and HP. Accenture was responsible for the development of the complete software solution and systems integration across the three information and communication technology channels. HP was responsible for providing infrastructure technology, access devices, support, services and the network connectivity. 

The Davos Companions are HP iPAQ h5450 Pocket PCs equipped with specially developed information and communication applications provided by Accenture to meet the unique needs of participants. The meeting's wireless network used HP ProLiant servers and approximately 60 HP wireless access points, with integration, implementation and ongoing technology support provided by Accenture and HP.

Remote access

"The wireless capabilities showcased this year will make the Davos Companion more vital than ever for participants as they experience a new level of flexibility in data access and interactivity," said Kasper Rorsted, Managing Director, HP EMEA. "The decision made by the World Economic Forum three years ago to wirelessly enable its information infrastructure reflects how, even in a remote place like Davos, mobile technologies are becoming an integral part of the way we communicate today." 

Kiosk and Davos Companion features included e-mail, program updates and registration, and general news channels. Throughout each day of the meeting, personal information was updated and sent automatically to each participant's Davos Companion. With the touch of a stylus on the screen, participants could send and receive e-mail messages and personalize contact lists, preferred sessions and site information. Information services could also be accessed offline by using data stored in the Davos Companion's internal memory.

"The Annual Meeting 2003, with its theme of 'Building Trust', highlights the need for all leaders to return to fundamental values and help restore faith and credibility in the market-driven system," said Andre Schneider, director of resources and knowledge management at the World Economic Forum. "In this context, we needed the newest technology to meet the increasing demands of our 2,000 participants to extend the interconnectivity outside the Congress Centre, and it was natural for us to look to our long-standing partners Accenture and HP to help us meet this year's growing technology requirements."

Technology market

Carly Fiorina, HP's CEO, chaired two panel discussions, "The Shape of the 21st Century Corporation" and "Corporate Responsibility Redefined," addressing ways new technology is affecting how corporations interact with clients, partners, and customers. 

Fiorina said structural changes in the technology market meant the industry would not go back to high growth rates of four to five times gross domestic product and would be more likely to settle at a ratio of one to two times. That meant that in a "normal economic environment" HP could be expected to grow at about seven to nine percent, she said.

She forecast that growth rates for HP would be higher in areas such as visual imaging and that the emphasis from consumer markets would be on innovation and not on the purchases of faster, cheaper PCs. "Consumers are not spending more on another box," she said. "It is innovation that makes life more rewarding or more fun."

PDA market share

At its corporate headquarters in California this week, HP announced that the company continues its stronghold in worldwide PDA (personal digital assistant) market share for 2002 as the leading Pocket PC vendor worldwide, with more than 52 percent of the Windows Pocket PC market, according to preliminary results released Monday by Gartner Dataquest.

The data shows that HP sustained positive quarter-to-quarter growth sequentially worldwide and remains the No. 2 PDA vendor around the globe. According to Gartner, HP shipments totaled more than 1.6 million for the year. From the third quarter to the fourth quarter in 2002, HP grew faster than the overall market, with shipments increasing from 292,850 to 438,069, according to Gartner Dataquest.

"By continuing to drive industry-leading innovation with industry-leading value, HP remains a force in the PDA market," said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president and general manager, HP Mobile Computing Global Business Unit. "As we introduce new handhelds into the market, we will continue to deliver new and exciting options to our customers."