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HP Consumer Tech Consultants Now Make Virtual House Calls


WEBWIRE

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 20, 2006, With one in four gifts expected to be an electronics product this holiday season, HP has added a new capability to its consumer services that will help people spend less time getting their products to work and more time enjoying themselves.

HP Instant Care, available as an addition to SmartFriend by HP and HP PC Tune-up, will allow service agents to connect to customers’ PCs over the Internet and provide personalized advice and assistance while customers sit back and learn.

These services, which give consumers a place to turn with their “how to” questions and can assist with improving PC performance, are available to customers in or out of warranty and can be purchased at anytime.

SmartFriend by HP is a tech support advice line for consumers, available in 45- or 75-minute calling plans. With HP Instant Care, customers of SmartFriend by HP can get more out of their sessions and have a range of questions answered – from how to set up a home network to learning how to use software applications.

HP PC Tune-up service has specially trained tech “mechanics” take customers through the tasks needed to help make PCs run at their best. Now with the HP Instant Care capability, customers can watch the steps that help bring their PCs back to health as agents do the work of defragmenting hard drives, deleting unnecessary files in the “Start Up” menu that bog down boot up times, and much more.

When purchasing electronic products this holiday season, consumers will often be asked about adding extended warranties, which can be good insurance for those who like added peace of mind. Services such as SmartFriend by HP and HP PC Tune-up can help consumers get the most from their technology and can be purchased anytime.

These extended service plans are part of HP Total Care, the service and support portfolio that supports consumer products. The Service and Support Professionals Association recently awarded HP Total Care two STAR Awards – the only service and support industry award from a professional association dedicated to serving industry professionals.

HP won in the Sustained Performance category for sustaining outstanding service and support and high customer satisfaction levels across all support channels for the past three years. It also won the WebStar Award for delivering exceptional customer service and technical support via the web.

HP has also been recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for consistently providing “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”(1)

Availability and pricing

HP PC Tune-up service costs $99 and SmartFriend by HP costs $59.99 for 45 minutes and $99.99 for 75 minutes. HP Instant Care is available with both HP PC Tune-up and SmartFriend by HP; it is available to customers in-warranty at no charge. These services are available now by calling +1 866 234 1377 in North America.

More information is available at www.hp.com/go/totalcare.

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 Oct. 31, 2006, HP revenue totaled $91.7 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) J.D. Power and Associates Certified Technology Service and Support ProgramSM, developed in conjunction with the Service & Support Professionals Association. For more information, visit www.jdpower.com or www.thesspa.com.

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 July 31, 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.

© 2006 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.



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