In the race to build market and awareness of convertible computing, Industry warhorse Hewlett Packard is beginning to stands head and shoulders above other manufacturers in exposing its products to large numbers of current and future users. And the reason for its success may be closely linked to an evagelism program aimed at higher education.
Take a quick tour west coast colleges and it’s very hard not to notice teachers and students using a stylus to take notes on their HP convertible notebooks. And the reason for the groundswell use of pen-enabled portables is an active evangelism program run by Jim Vanides (pronounced Va-nydes) HP’s program manager for worldwide higher education, who administers the company’s efforts to seed colleges, universities and other schools with tablets.
HP’s evangelism program is rooted in its decades old academic philanthropic programs, which originally seeded engineering labs and classrooms with test equipment such as oscilloscopes and other instruments.
Vanides, based at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, can often be found, however, visiting college campuses or speaking at educational computing conferences nationwide.
HP’s tablet evangelism program is substantially different from those run by virtually all other computer companies (specifically Apple), which have largely been aimed at driving software developers to support new architectures or hardware platforms. HP focuses its evangelism program on a traditional market—education, Vanides reports. “We are focused on STEM (Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Medical) colleges.”
Vanides, who has a Masters in education from Stanford University, notes “a big part of the evangelism mission is to show teachers what they can do with (pen-enabled convertible notebooks), and how it helps improves learning.”
Thus far, HP’s tablet computing program has spread its offerings to more than 200 academic institutions that are using the new technology to improve teaching and learning, Vanides says “And more schools are being added to the program.”
HP’s tablet computing program isn’t a passive. In fact, it’s quite active in spreading the message. Vanides notes HP recently issued a request for educational grant proposals and quickly received more than 80 responses. Each award will be classroom-sized grants of 21 tablet computers, Vanides added.
Although most of HP’s convertible evangelism efforts are directed at schools that fit it’s STEM educational framework, the company also has “mindfully” helped community colleges where its hardware, used in combination with wireless networking and messaging software has helped expand “office hours” by giving students electronic access to teachers.
When talking to HP’s Mr. Vanides, it’s very hard not to notice his devotion to the concept of using technology to improve teaching and learning.
Although he seems reluctant to admit it, HP’s evangelism program is also an informal close-up lens on what does and doesn’t work in tablet computing. “We do talk informally with product development and marketing,” he said.
HP’s interests in seeding convertible computers aren’t limited to colleges and universities; the company also has an evangelist that specializes in K-12 education.
Jim Vanides is one of the most visible academic computing evangelists and his blog here should be a must read for anyone interested in tablet computing’s potential.
And what does Mr Vanides think about the effects of evangelism? “I’m very surprised more companies don’t do it.”
--Jim Forbes 06/22/2007
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