Today, for the first time in more than 16 months, HPE team members were able to meet and collaborate at our San Jose campus and nearly all of our U.S. sites. (Our new Houston headquarters, currently under construction, will open in February 2022).
This is a good day. The light at the end of the tunnel is much closer. While the COVID crisis isn’t over, especially in countries and communities where variants of the coronavirus continue to surge, our reopening is more than a symbolic occurrence. It’s evidence that thoughtful planning and execution can result in an evolved workplace that can be safe, productive and engaging.
I’m optimistic about HPE’s new Edge-to-Office model, which we introduced to our team members in the Fall of 2020. With 60,000 team members around the globe, HPE helps organizations use technology and data to develop new business models, engage audiences in new ways, and increase operational performance. And we have long supported quests to help people be more collaborative and productive, wherever they are.
That’s exactly what our Edge-to-Office model is doing. Our new working model is designed to connect our team members and ensure they have a positive experience – in the office, at home or anywhere they conduct business.
The initiative draws on the expertise of every function that impacts the team member experience: real estate, HR, communications, IT and others. Our goal is to deeply embed HPE’s company culture into the work experience, whether remote or onsite.
We have transformed our physical spaces into “collaboration & culture centers” that allow team members to safely come together, collaborate and be social. For now, workstations are six feet apart. No large internal meetings are held in conference rooms. Some high-touch amenities, like food service areas, are limited or redesigned. And hand disinfection, contact tracing and thorough cleaning are embedded into our daily routines.
I am incredibly proud of the individuals who have worked so diligently across our global network to develop and implement our Edge-to-Office model. And I am grateful for all of our HPE team members who demonstrated perseverance, patience, and hard work throughout the pandemic. COVID-19 challenged HPE in ways we never could have imagined, but our team rose to the occasion to deliver for our customers, partners, communities, and each other. Our business is stronger for it, our culture is stronger for it, and HPE’s future is bright.
While we are fortunate in the U.S. to have broad access to effective vaccines, this is not the case in many other countries where infections remain high. We continue to keep those still struggling in our thoughts and look forward to a time when COVID is not an issue in any part of the world.