HP To Enter The 3D-printing Market
Hewlett-Packard (HP) will eventually enter the commercial 3D-printing market in the near future and plans to provide more information in June, according to the company's CEO Meg Whitman.
Chief Executive Meg Whitman told HP's shareholders on Tuesday the company will make a "big technology announcement" in June, possibly outlining the company's plans to enter the 3D-printing market.
She said that HP's researchers have resolved limitations involved with the quality of substrates used in the process, which affects the durability of finished products.
Whitma added that HP would focus on the enterprise space first, offering businesses tools to manufacturing parts and prototypes "in ways that were not possible before."
Currently, the immature 3D-printing market is dominated by a number of smaller players like MakerBot, which sells consumer 3-D printers.
In spite of recent improvements, most desktop 3D printers are still too complicated, slow and limited in applications to become mass market devices.
Copyright issues are also likely to emerge when rights holders realise their products can be copied by users.
She said that HP's researchers have resolved limitations involved with the quality of substrates used in the process, which affects the durability of finished products.
Whitma added that HP would focus on the enterprise space first, offering businesses tools to manufacturing parts and prototypes "in ways that were not possible before."
Currently, the immature 3D-printing market is dominated by a number of smaller players like MakerBot, which sells consumer 3-D printers.
In spite of recent improvements, most desktop 3D printers are still too complicated, slow and limited in applications to become mass market devices.
Copyright issues are also likely to emerge when rights holders realise their products can be copied by users.
