Introducing the new London CIC

[JenniferMSmith]

HPE celebrates relaunch of Customer Innovation Centre

Following a full remodel, our London Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) re-opened its doors to welcome customers, partners and employees to this incredible immersive experience. The CIC is an interactive space showcasing HPE technology and innovation that help drive customer outcomes, edge to cloud.

HPE is committed to helping our customers achieve their business goals. The CIC provides a space to invite customers in for strategic, pioneering conversations looking at how we can partner with them to innovate faster and perform at levels that elevate them above their competition.

Watch the full guided tour and opening here

How does our centre do this?

During the pandemic shutdown, the CIC became underutilised as people adopted remote working practices and only gradually returned to the office. When it was time to reopen, we felt the centre wasn’t fully delivering the experience we knew our customers and partners expected. So, in mid-2023, we launched a phased overhaul, which gave us the opportunity to create something that could fully meet our needs to deliver the ultimate customer engagement. Set over two floors, we opened bright collaborative working spaces, high-tech conference rooms, interactive experiences, an innovation collaboration zone and a brand-new hospitality space, complete with our own pub.

What’s in store at the CIC?

Greeted by the Carnegie Clean Energy ocean wave tank, visitors are guided through our innovation stories in supporting energy generation from waves, to our spaceborne computer – the fastest computer in the galaxy – and past a range of Edge to Cloud HPE innovations, including a racing simulator that demonstrates how we’re speeding up race times with AI technology. Telling our story visually allows it to be immersively experienced, not passively observed. We want people to touch, feel, play and explore, helping to understand how HPE technology has brought our customer solutions to life.

“We hosted our first customers, starting with the Formula 1 car, which broke the ice and set the tone for the rest of the day.”

Deeper into the CIC, there are conference rooms alongside a bar, Addison’s Tavern – a nod to Hewlett Packard’s beginnings on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California. An old audio oscillator behind the bar acts as a reminder of the first big project in 1939 for Disney’s Fantasia, with Disney remaining one of our largest customers. Break out pods bring visitors back to London, themed as London Underground Tube carriages, and collaboration spaces are flexible for theatre style seating or a more relaxed sofa-style seating for innovative conversations.

“With a 14% deal acceleration and a deal size increase of 1.8 times, bring your customers and partners into the CIC and let’s discuss their digital transformation.”

As well as levelling up our space, we’ve levelled up our teams too, enabling them to provide better facilitated sessions and a bespoke service to our partners and customers. The CIC provides exactly what each visitor needs, with meaningful, helpful conversations and demonstrations to drive innovation around AI and hybrid cloud.

Jennifer Smith, London, CIC Manager, oversaw the CIC relaunch and said, “I feel a renewed energy has been brought back to the CIC, with a fresh start for our London office and an excitement around in-person customer interactions. We’ve blended a bit of fun with science, and our team is so excited to show visitors around the space, let them drive on the race simulator, enjoy a pint at the bar and explore our technology through real-life examples. It’s such a valuable tool in our customers’ journeys, and we can’t wait to welcome them in to rediscover the art of the possible for their business.”

It's easy to book a visit to the CIC, simply contact your account manager or email London CIC.

Jennifer Smith
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Senior Manager
London Customer Innovation Centre
HPE LinkedIn