Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Test and Learn

Do you remember how some of the best days in high school science class were when you got to go in the lab? When you had a problem to solve and you got to roll up your sleeves and experiment until you got the answer?

We got to do the professional version of just that last week, when we brought a handful of customers and special guests to the HP Customer Experience Center in New York. This is a living production laboratory for testing and learning, featuring the latest-and-greatest technology from HP today.

What made the trip invaluable:

We learned from the best in the business. At the Experience Center, HP offers its top subject matter experts to share new and emerging technology and answer questions on the spot. Technology represents one of the biggest line items for any company, and business leaders need to be confident that their suppliers and partners understand their needs and environment to offer the right resources at the right cost at the right time.

We saw the latest technology in action. Nothing is more important than seeing first-hand how different products and software can perform. The demonstrations not only presented good introductions to different resources, but they illustrated how to make the most of your technology. (Dare I admit that being in a nearly 10,000-square-foot facility with all that cutting-edge IT brought out the best geeks in us?)

We solved some vexing problems. A couple of clients came looking for answers to specific challenges with storage. In that real IT setting, HP experts were able to configure and demonstrate a storage array that would specifically eliminate those problems. Those clients now have a strategy to discuss with their business leaders and to use in determining how to prioritize the HP recommendations.

We got a sneak peak at what’s coming next. Our visit last week allowed us a glimpse into HP’s next generation of products, and how they will integrate with existing platforms.

Unique opportunity for customers
This hands-on experience is a rare perk of collaborating with CTG, which is an HP Gold Partner. During our nearly 10-year history, we have worked with a host of technology manufacturers, but we have chosen this specific partnership for HP’s comprehensive and integrated product portfolio. We know that all technology has a lifecycle, and our clients trust us to recommend hardware and configurations that meet today’s needs and are scalable for future business growth.

What our customers and guests told us was that this hands-on day gave them better insights into how HP’s architecture and products can deliver on all IT needs, from security to software, hardware to mobility. Because HP is one of the biggest in the industry, we know it can be daunting for our clients to navigate through all those products. This visit allowed our customers to learn more about why we trust HP, which delivers products that are equally innovative and reliable.

What happens next?
Our CTG team will be meeting with local HP account teams to host a technical discussion, where we will dive deeper into the day’s learnings.

And in keeping with our commitment to be on the leading edge, we already are planning our next visit to the HP Customer Experience Center. If you've got an IT challenge that is continuing to haunt you, let our CTG team know – and join us on our next trip to this IT laboratory.

John Monahan is co-founder of CTG.

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