Soil-structure
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(Image credit: HP India) This article was written with contributions from Vickram Bedi, Senior Director of Personal Systems, HP India Our world has changed dramatically in recent months, especially affecting the way we work. Our computers are now the centerpiece of everything, at home or in the office, for work and play. Since laptops are the obvious winner in this situation, here's how the market has changed in the recent past. In a matter of weeks, people's laptop usage habits changed. The ripples created affected demand in some segments more than others. Talking about the evolution of the PC space, HP, with almost 30% market share in the Indian PC market, shared with us information about the changes that will come into action in the future.
The gaming segment continues to grow
The gaming PC segment experienced the strongest growth with an increase of nearly 50% year-over-year, followed by the thin and light and high-powered categories. This is mainly due to the fact that people are now looking for devices that can meet all work related needs as well as occasional leisure and entertainment needs. While India has always lagged behind in embracing new trends, most demographic factors are currently in its favor. With one of the largest youth populations in the world, which is also extremely connected and exposed, gaming is a large part of your entertainment needs. Factors like improved infrastructure and affordable data rates further tip the scales. The game has almost become a social network where friends can hang out, talk for hours and bond. The otherwise limited possibilities for interaction also work in your favor. These factors have also increased media consumption. Bedi also believes that it will invariably create an environment conducive to creators who will rely on high-performance computers. The same goes for college students, as anyone buying a new machine expects some degree of gaming ability. The relaunch of the Omen line and updated Pavilion gaming laptops are a testament to this change.
Change priorities
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HP 14s (Image credit: HP) Some might wonder if portability will be less of a priority for users these days, since they probably won't be traveling as much. In reality, portability remains one of the top priorities for people looking for a new laptop. Consumers do not use their device on-site at their homes on a daily basis. Also, as a highly engaged product, they hope to one day be able to travel with their computer. With rapidly changing preferences, HP also believes that being agile and flexible helps them stay ahead. For example, the recently released HP 14s Always-On Laptop was launched to meet the needs of users who would not want to be held back by their connection. “We have always believed in knowledge-driven innovation. We are committed to understanding the pain points of the customers we serve (technological or otherwise),” adds Bedi.
The new normal
In the near future, brands will also have to change the way they interact with their consumers and continue to provide them with a satisfying product and communication experience. One of HP's initiatives included a WhatsApp hotline that can help people answer questions and even answer them remotely. This service is not exclusive to HP customers. There is also a much bigger change taking place to reduce the friction a consumer might face. Called the Parivartan Project, HP seeks to become omnichannel so potential buyers can discover products in one source and continue the transaction at another time. In addition to confidence, it also allows them to experience more products without being held back by inventory bottlenecks. After sales support is extremely important in India. A new service-on-wheels initiative aims to support this in today's environment, where a product engineer can meet the customer at a neutral location and interact in a sanitized environment to repair the product. Additional strategies will be adopted to reduce the number of interactions required for closures. Although HP has good scale in India, they realize the opportunity still exists due to low IT penetration. True to its vision of creating technology that improves everyone's lives, product roadmaps will be implemented to meet the needs of all types of consumers, whether they are first-time laptop owners. or a game enthusiast.