HP Showcases Technology to Connect People to Information and Entertainment - Wherever They Are

HP today introduced a wide range of mobile computing devices, services and infrastructure designed to significantly enhance the way individuals connect to the information, entertainment and people that matter most to them - wherever they are.

At the third annual HP Mobility Summit, held this year in Shanghai, the company unveiled more than a dozen notebook PCs that deliver a balance of form and function to both enrich the user experience and reflect a new personal technology lifestyle.

Other products and services introduced include mobile device management software, mobile messaging and collaboration services, and 3G mobile video solutions, including messaging and mobile blogging services.

HP also announced “mscape,” a prototype software suite and website that overlays digital sight, sounds and interactions on the physical world to create immersive and interactive experiences.

“Rather than simply enabling products with wireless connectivity, HP is helping customers make connections to the people and information that are important to them,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “These connections increasingly include rich digital media such as full motion video, graphics and voice for a real-time interactive experience, and HP is providing the devices, services and IT infrastructure to make this happen.”

Notebooks for road warriors and entertainment enthusiasts

Building on its position as the No. 1 notebook vendor in the world,(1) HP unveiled 13 new notebook models, including a sleek, ultra-light Tablet PC and the company’s first 20-inch diagonal entertainment notebook.

For users seeking a home-theater experience, the HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Series Notebook PC, featuring an exclusive HP Imprint design called “the Dragon,” delivers rich multimedia performance with a big 20.1-inch diagonal display. Capable of true HD 1080p resolution,(2) The HDX Entertainment notebook is a multimedia enthusiast’s dream, perfect for watching movies, editing video or gaming.

In addition to multi-media features, the new HP Pavilion consumer notebook PCs feature eye-catching designs with “Radiance,” an HP Imprint pattern with subtle lines across the surface of the notebook to hint at the interconnectedness of work and play.

The new ultra-thin HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC combines conventional notebook productivity and tablet PC flexibility into a single convertible notebook. In addition, it offers an optional integrated camera for convenient video conferencing(3) and image capture, an HP NightLight on the keyboard to improve visibility in low light, and integrated business card reader software. It also features a silver finish with brushed aluminum accents and incorporates the latest technologies, such as an Illumi-Lite display for weight and power consumption savings.

HP’s business notebook lineup is among the industry’s first to feature Intel® Centrino® Pro Mobile technology,(4,5) which offers built-in remote manageability and proactive security. The notebooks also include HP security innovations such as Drive Encryption for HP ProtectTools,(6) a full volume encryption technology that renders the hard drive unreadable if the notebook or hard drive is lost or stolen.

Additionally, six of the seven new business notebook series boast a choice of mobile broadband connectivity options, and the new ultra-light notebooks will support CDMA 1xEV-DO Revision A,(7) which offers a higher EV-DO connection speed.

Managing the mobile environment

The HP Enterprise Mobility Suite, a device management software solution designed to ease mobile device deployments within the enterprise, allows customers to cost-effectively launch and manage advanced mobile services that are more secure and reliable.

The HP Enterprise Mobility Suite provides the high levels of functionality that enterprises need, including over-the-air software updates, device configuration, diagnostics and device security. With HP Mobile Device Management solutions, business IT has the power to smooth mobile device deployments, migration and replacement. Over-the-air device configuration allows for firmware over-the-air ROM updates, active error monitoring and remote detection and repair. IT departments can also boost mobile security with remote device lock/unlock, remote wipe and over-the-air push of security applications.

The Mobility Suite is the first mobile device management solution introduced by HP since its December 2006 acquisition of Bitfone, the software and services company that pioneered standards-based, over-the-air device management for the wireless industry.

Video on the go

HP’s new mobile software solutions will benefit people who enjoy interactive video on their mobile phones and mobile operators who want to leverage network investments and generate new revenue.

The HP OpenCall Video Solutions portfolio is a flexible, standards-based set of offerings that consists of three ready-to-deploy solutions that can help mobile operators make their 3G video services more attractive to subscribers - and easier to use.

The three solutions also enable mobile phone users to send and receive video messages as easily as voice messages; create animated call response messages that prompt the caller to leave a photo, video or voice message; and enjoy a wide range of video services, such as video blogging in community portals and participation TV, as well as accessing professional video content.

From cyberspace to real space

The new mscape site, http://www.mscapers.com, is a beta program that provides consumers and professional developers with the tools to design, build and share interactive, location-based experiences called mediascapes that run on HP iPAQ or other GPS-enabled handheld devices with the Windows® Mobile operating system.(8)

GPS enthusiasts, gamers as well as travel and outdoor enthusiasts with mobile devices running an mscape player can move through the physical world and trigger location-based digital media - including images, sounds, audio and video - adding a layer of cyberspace to real space.

The website provides an authoring toolkit, mscape player, training and tips to design and build mediascapes. Users can also share the mediascapes they have created with friends, family and communities around the world by publishing them on the site.

Virtual collaboration and Management of Change

End-User Workplace Solutions are designed to help users get vital work done more efficiently from more locations. New virtual collaboration services include messaging services, content management services and conference services. Designed to drive efficiency and increase employee productivity while enabling greater customer satisfaction, the new services - including design, migration, integration and ongoing management - help enterprises consolidate and integrate their virtual collaboration environment with minimal upfront expense or user disruption.

HP also announced its end-user Management of Change methodologies for mobility, service desk and collaboration to help enterprises predict and overcome issues associated with end-user adoption and acceptance of new technologies and e-support models. Management of Change is a systematic approach to proactively plan, manage and stabilize change processes, from both organizational and individual perspectives.

Other new offerings include flexible mobile infrastructure management capabilities and a groundbreaking total cost of ownership service that assists enterprises in identifying the real costs and best practices of mobile and desktop management.

Mobile Digital Laboratories

HP and Saltire Scientific are teaming to develop Mobile Digital Laboratories for the secondary mathematics and science education market. Based on an HP 39gs or 40gs graphing calculator, the Mobile Digital Laboratories solution allows users to collect and analyze real world data in real time.

The easy-to-use Mobile Digital Laboratory enables math and science students to quickly capture nearly imperceptible everyday data - such as the flicker of fluorescent lights and waveforms of the human voice - and mathematically analyze it using familiar functions on an HP calculator.

These announcements were made at “Making Connections: The 2007 HP Mobility Summit” in Shanghai, China. More information on this HP event, including the latest news and live event photos and videos, is available at http://www.hpmobility.com.

More information on HP mobile products and solutions is available in an online press kit at http://www.hp.com/go/MobilitySummit2007.