News release

HP Introduces World’s First Blade Server for 24/7 Mission-critical Computing

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HP today introduced the industry’s first high-availability, fault-tolerant blade server, delivering the lowest total cost of ownership of any server in its class.

The new HP Integrity NonStop NB50000c BladeSystem supports high transaction volumes and provides real-time response capabilities in a cost-effective design.

By combining the high-availability features of HP Integrity NonStop with the cost, change, time and energy efficiencies of HP BladeSystem, the Integrity NonStop BladeSystem is an ideal replacement platform for mainframe applications in industries such as finance, public sector and telecommunications.

Using the same amount of power as existing NonStop server offerings,⁽¹⁾ the NB50000c delivers twice the performance and occupies half the data center space. Additionally, the NonStop BladeSystem offers 35 percent lower total cost of ownership than competing offerings and up to a 50 percent decrease in cost per transaction.⁽²⁾

The server was introduced at the HP Technology Forum & Expo, HP’s premiere technical training event that brings together top customers, partners, developers and engineers.

With this addition to its server blade portfolio, HP is the first company in the industry to offer a full array of blade solutions for businesses ranging from midsize to those requiring 24/7 availability.

“The new Integrity NonStop BladeSystem provides 24/7 business availability and scalability to our customers through the economies of a bladed form factor,” said Ann Livermore, executive vice president, Technology Solutions Group, HP. “This is yet another example of how HP enables customers to manage and transform their technology for better business outcomes.”

Modular, 24/7 mission-critical computing

The world’s leading stock exchanges, emergency services and telecommunications companies rely on Integrity NonStop to support high volumes of mission-critical transaction processing. The Integrity NonStop BladeSystem offers a new way to transition customers’ most-demanding applications onto a highly efficient, modular form factor.

“We’re looking for performance,” said John Hart, managing director of technology engineering at CME Group, the parent company of the merged Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade. “We expect the blade environment to help us take advantage of faster processing speeds and immediately apply that to the [CME] Globex trading platform. We expect to see improvement in cost per transaction, throughput and response time, with additional gains as the system is tuned. The blade environment is also more compact; it will use less space in our data center, and space is a premium for us.”

The NonStop operating environment offered on a standards-based blade design ensures the highest levels of reliability. Its fault-containment design protects data while error-recovery features eliminate downtime.

Key features and customer benefits of the new HP Integrity NonStop BladeSystem include:

• double the processing power in half the physical footprint through multi-core technology and HP BladeSystem;
• reduced administrative costs with enhanced system management tools such as HP Integrity Integrated Lights-Out 2 (iLO 2), HP Systems Insight Manager and the Onboard Administrator for HP BladeSystem;
• patented 24/7 fault-tolerant software built on standard components for reduced cost of ownership.

New incentive program helps customers trade up to blades

Across the globe, HP is enabling customers to cost-effectively modernize legacy mainframe applications on HP Integrity NonStop servers.

To assist them, HP has announced a new “NonStop FREEdom” incentive program that provides an HP Integrity NonStop NB50000c BladeSystem at no charge and a full year of NonStop platform software to customers who choose to migrate from costly mainframe architectures.

Offered with Logica, a leading IT and business services company, the program helps mainframe customers take advantage of the more efficient HP blade platform. More details on this new program are available at www.hp.com/go/nonstopfreedom.

Availability and pricing

The HP Integrity NonStop NB50000c BladeSystem is available today. For pricing information, please contact HP at +1 800 282 6672. More information on HP Integrity NonStop is available at www.hp.com/go/nonstop and more information on HP BladeSystem is available at www.hp.com/go/bladesystem.

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

⁽¹⁾ Based on an HP internal testing comparison between the HP NonStop NB50000c and the NonStop NS16000.

⁽²⁾ Compared to IBM z9 mainframe. “Trends in IT Value Report, 2008.” Standish Group International, Inc.

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 execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2008 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2008 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.