HP Adds Global Debian Linux Support, Introduces Open Source Middleware Channel Offerings

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14, 2006, HP today announced that it has increased Linux distribution support options for customers and expanded its portfolio to include support for Debian Linux.

The company also introduced integrated open source middleware offerings for its channel partners.

HP began working with Debian in 1995 and now enables Debian Linux across HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers. The move complements H P’s support for Red Hat, Novell SUSE and the Asianux foundation of Miracle, Red Flag and Haansoft.

Other HP offerings announced at LinuxWorld include:

* Industry’s first Debian Linux, customizable thin client from a tier-one vendor. The new HP t5725 Thin Client can be easily customized with thousands of Debian applications to meet the requirements of both mainstream users and specialized industries, such as retail and healthcare. The t5725 also is an ideal solution for kiosk environments;
* Improved serviceability for Linux customers, including remote monitoring and diagnosis tools shipped with each HP server running Linux. The tools are backed by HP service and support, which successfully manages more than 99 percent of all Linux support calls internally without escalation to independent software vendors (1);
* Industry-leading Linux on blade solutions offered through the HP BladeSystem Solution Builder Program now include a tested solution stack for Oracle® Database 10g with Real Application Clusters and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 for the HP ProLiant BL25p and BL45p server blades.

“HP is continually working to provide customers with the confidence they need to incorporate and integrate Linux and open source into their enterprise,” said Christine Martino, vice president, Open Source and Linux, HP. “Today’s announcement demonstrates HP’s customer successes and opens the door for even more customers to take advantage of open source.”

“At FedEx, we depend on technology to remain agile and competitive, and using Linux-based integrated open source solutions has offered us greater choice and more overall value in meeting that objective,” said Larry R. Tieman, senior vice president, IT Business Solutions, FedEx. “We’re excited about HP’s focus on tested, integrated stacks, allowing us to bring more open source technology into our environment without sacrificing the enterprise support and integration we’ve come to enjoy.”

Driving open source adoption through integration

HP continues to build the complete package of integrated open source and Linux technology and services – including HP Open Source Middleware Stack (OSMS) solutions, flexible components, technical support and consulting service combinations – plus new ways for customers to integrate open source within their data centers.

Since announcing HP OSMS in April, customers have utilized HP Open Source Building Blocks software components and HP Open Source Blueprints – do-it-yourself, complimentary guides to facilitate integration and deployment of open source solutions.

New HP OSMS offerings include:

* Tested and documented HP Blueprints, including new Blueprints for open source Directory Services expected to be available in the fall and Database Server Blueprints expected to be available later this month;
* Channel-enabled HP OSMS solutions are now a part of HP’s Linux Elite Program, and other HP channel programs with full training from HP are also available. HP OSMS solutions can now be resold by HP channel partners, who also can offer service add-ons to broaden open source adoption.

“As an HP Linux Elite Partner, Agilysys has long enjoyed collaborating with HP to jointly deliver more robust open source solutions to customers,” said Robert Baily, executive vice president, Agilysys. “The ability to now bring HP OSMS to the channel and offer customers a tested, integrated stack with complete infrastructure and support enables Agilysys to do what it does best – deploy open source into customer environments, integrate it with existing technology and tailor the final solutions for their needs.”

All of the components in the HP OSMS are designed to offer customers a broad choice in open source and commercial solutions, multiple technology integration options, and the confidence to deploy these capabilities throughout the enterprise. HP also offers tested and supported enabling solutions that leverage the company’s 6,500 open source and Linux service professionals worldwide.

More information on HP’s open source and Linux offerings is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/linuxworld2006.

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 April 30, 2006, HP revenue totaled $88.9 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

¹ Internal HP tracking shows that HP handled 99.5 percent of incoming Linux support calls in fiscal year 2005, only referring less than 1 percent to an independent software vendor.

Oracle is a registered U.S. trademark of Oracle Corp., Redwood City, Calif.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could 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 but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the achievement of expected results and other risks that are described from time to time in HP’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to the risks described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2006, and other reports filed after HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2005. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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