## e-Utilica 

“Shouldn’t companies pay just for what they use?” 

Utility computing—a model in which information and computing power are made avail- able like electricity or water—has been a mantra and a vision at hp for decades. The thinking behind it is simple: In the future, individuals and businesses won’t always buy hardware or software, they’ll rent it—paying only for what they use. 

With utility computing as their design strategy, Matt Oberdorfer and his team in Fort Collins, Colorado, invented e-Utilica, the world’s first plug-and-play Internet data center solution that makes it possible for service providers, carriers and enterprises to deliver appli- cations and computing services “on tap.” In the intense, hothouse environment of a start-up, they built concepts and prototypes; invented new manufacturing, customer support, service, and training processes; won patents—and created a whole new product category. 

Thanks to the doggedness and creativity of an inspired team, utility computing is more than just a timely concept. It’s now a whole new revenue stream based on hp’s unique intellectual property—and uniquely inventive spirit. 

