Carleton University Selects HP Canada to Deliver $10 Million Campus Network Upgrade

Staff, students and faculty to benefit from enhanced services

PALO ALTO, CA, March 23, 2005, HP today announced that Carleton University in Ottawa has selected HP to design, implement and manage a $10 million campus-wide upgrade of its network infrastructure.

The network will deliver 10 gigabit-per-second Ethernet performance and bandwidth to support diverse academic research projects, collaboration and communications, and business and administrative applications, including a student information system.

“HP’s innovation and expertise are helping institutions like Carleton University optimize their IT resources and processes so they can focus on providing a better education experience,” said Mike Humke, worldwide director of education, Government, Health and Education, HP. “We are working in partnership with Carleton to build a campus that is more adaptive, provides greater access to new learning tools and improves communication among students and educators while also meeting the school’s administrative needs.”

“Carleton University is committed to providing the best possible environment for faculty, staff and students to perform research, to teach and to learn,” said Duncan Watt, vice president, Finance and Administration, Carleton University. “Using HP’s solutions and services, this new upgrade will create the state-of-the-art technological infrastructure that is needed to ensure that we can offer an outstanding university experience.”

The system will enhance administrative support systems that will enable faculty and staff to conduct secure business transactions, such as accessing student files and transcripts, tracking graduation requirements or tuition payments. In addition, the registration process for students will be easier and faster.

“The new enhanced IT service will offer something to everyone,” said Ralph Michaelis, chief information officer, Carleton University. “All Carleton employees and students will have faster and better access to the Internet. The University will have the technology to broadcast courses on demand, to allow classes and faculty to participate in desktop videoconferencing, and provide additional wireless capabilities and enhanced connectivity to e-classrooms.”

Over the past four years, Carleton’s research funding has increased dramatically by 261 percent. Some of the 781 research projects such as a Virtual Simulation Lab, a Human-Computer Interaction Lab and Cyber-cartography projects that are now underway place a heavy demand for bandwidth to carry large amounts of data.

“Carleton is boldly moving towards an electronic, self-service delivery model for these and other fundamental functions, as well as providing new e-classroom and wireless capabilities in the future,” said Michaelis.

In addition to supplying the network hardware in collaboration with Cisco Systems, HP is delivering a full suite of consulting services, including design, configuration, integration, installation, technical and project support. HP OpenView software has been implemented as Carleton’s network management platform.

“HP is our strategic IT partner. They are providing crucial expertise and comprehensive solutions to assist us to transform our infrastructure and adapt to change, while also controlling costs,” said Michaelis. “We will be able to more proactively and effectively manage and maintain all our network assets, monitor and balance data traffic, and virtualize and utilize our data center.”

The enhanced network has some 14,000 ports, offering high-performance connectivity to more than 20 buildings, 2,000 faculty and staff, and 23,000 students. As part of the upgrade, Carleton will be able to provide more consistent access across campus, with 100-Mbps speeds to the desktop becoming standard.

“HP’s Adaptive Enterprise strategy enables organizations of all kinds to achieve greater agility and value through a simplified, standardized and integrated IT infrastructure that meets their evolving business and operational requirements,” said Reg Schade, vice president and general manager, HP Services, HP Canada. “Academic institutions are constantly experiencing change with new students, faculty, curriculums, programs and services, which collectively place new and different pressures on all of the university’s resources. An adaptive infrastructure can ensure that business and IT are synchronized to capitalize on such changes.”

Work is already underway and the project is expected to be completed by 2008.

About Carleton University

Carleton University, Canada’s Capital University, is a dynamic research and learning institution located in Ottawa, Canada. The University is a national leader in the study of public affairs and management, and high technology, as well as a leading innovator in undergraduate education. Carleton University has a vibrant work and learning environment, with close ties to the region’s business, cultural, government, and high technology communities.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2005, HP revenue totaled $81.8 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they ever materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including the expected development, performance or rankings of products or services; statements of expectation or belief; and any statement of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the development, performance and market acceptance of products and services and other risks that are described from time to time in HP’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2004. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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