According to the company’s CEO, Meg Whitman, “We intend to play in the 3D printing market because it isn't adjacency. It's obviously different than paper printing but some of the technology is the same. And at least as we see here today, we anticipate adding -- entering this organically. And what we're doing is focusing on what's the value proposition by market segment, whether that be consumer or industrial."
Developing mature 3D printing systems doesn’t just happen overnight, and Whitman is quick to highlight that fact. “[3D Printing] is an acorn. Right, you've heard me say we got to plant acorns than they will eventually become oak trees but you should think in 2014 and 2015. This is an acorn that maybe has very good long potential but the market is at its earlier stages. And there is a lot of technology work that needs to be done to be able to print in the kind of timeframe that most consumers and most industries would actually find acceptable."
While HP’s ability to produce a quality 3D printing system is yet uncertain, industry leaders such as Stratasys and 3D Systems should be on their guard. With its massive resources and large distribution network, HP could quickly become a major player in the 3D printing world.
Moreover, if the company can produce reliable, affordable 3D printing solutions for both consumers and industrial users, it might bring some much-needed competition into the upper-tiers of the 3D printing market.
Image Courtesy of the Sacramento Bee