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HP and Magic Johnson Foundation Team Up to Defeat Digital Divide in New Orleans


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Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center featuring HP technology opens in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, July 7, 2005

HP and the Magic Johnson Foundation brought their national community technology initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide to New Orleans with the opening of the 20th Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center at Kingsley House.

The Inventor Center in New Orleans joins 19 others in 16 cities around the country offering training, skills development and online access for youth and adult residents in underserved communities. Since the launch of the program, Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Centers have opened in Atlanta, Bladensburg, Md., Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville, Fla., Lansing, Mich., Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Oakland, Calif., Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C. HP’s investment in the centers totals $1.4 million over three years.

“In today’s world, a lack of knowledge and understanding of technology puts an individual at a distinct disadvantage,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson, founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation. “Many of us use technology daily in our homes, our schools and our businesses. Yet for residents in underserved communities, access to technology is not a given. This partnership with HP enables residents of the community to have access and training opportunities that are not otherwise available.”

Kingsley House is a New Orleans-based, nationally accredited social service agency with a mission of educating children, strengthening families and building community. The Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center at Kingsley House will provide the people of New Orleans with a powerful lineup of HP commercial and consumer products ranging from PCs to the latest in digital imaging technology. Kingsley House will operate the new Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center to ensure sustainability of the technology programs well into the future.

“The new Inventor Center will offer residents access to needed resources that will allow them to develop computer skills necessary in a technologically driven world,” said New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. “We thank HP, the Magic Johnson Foundation and the other organizations that collaborated to bring the Inventor Center to the community of New Orleans.”

The HP technology deployed in the Inventor Center, valued at more than $80,000, includes servers, notebook and desktop PCs, flat panel monitors, digital cameras, photo printers, and all-in-one fax, scanner and printer units.

“HP is committed to closing the gap between technology-excluded and technology-empowered communities by making technology accessible to everyone,” said Neal Wasemiller, senior enterprise manager, State and Local Government, HP. “HP’s collaboration with the Magic Johnson Foundation provides people in underserved communities with technology and skills training needed to increase their access to educational and economic opportunities.”

The Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center at Kingsley House will specialize in technology education for children ages 2 to 18 and their parents or caregivers and will also provide skills for Kingsley House’s disabled adults and senior citizens.

Other sponsors supporting the Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Center include ADT, DHL, Eastwind Consulting Group and Freddie Mac.

About Kingsley House

Kingsley House, a United Way partner agency, is a social service agency that educates children, strengthens families and builds community. Founded in 1896, Kingsley House serves more than 7,500 infants, children, youth, parents, severely disabled and elderly adults each year in preventative and early-intervention programs, including Early Head Start, Pre-School, School-Age Day Care, Summer Camp, Teen Center, Family Preservation, Families First, Adult Day Health Care and the Senior Center.

About Magic Johnson Foundation

The Magic Johnson Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on improving and addressing the health, educational and social needs of those residing in the inner city. In addition, the Foundation has made a strong commitment to raise awareness about several health and social concerns that threaten underserved communities. Founded in 1991 by basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the Foundation has raised more than $20 million for charity.

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, 2005, HP revenue totaled $83.3 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, 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 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2005, and other reports filed after 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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