Even those most sceptical about the sincerity and efficacy of corporate involvement in developing nations have to admit HP is trying very hard to make philanthropic projects work in some of the world`s poorest areas. Debra Dunn, senior vice president of HP and custodian of its generous face, says these initiatives have real company benefits – and not all are immediately apparent.

“One unplanned-for thing about the summit was that it turned out to be a fabulous vehicle for integrating the HP and Compaq teams. It has been a good management principle over the years: if you want them to get to work together, throw them together in a big, short-timeframe project.”