News release

Compaq Adds High Performance Security Solutions to ProLiant Servers for Customers' Internet Infrastructures

Also Delivers Enhanced NetWare and UnixWare Clustering Solutions

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today announced new advanced security, performance, management and clustering capabilities and technologies for its ProLiant™ family of industry-standard servers, further enabling customers to realize the full potential of their Internet infrastructures, simplify the management of their computing environments, and provide for growth and expansion.

Compaq today announced:

• The AXL300 Accelerator PCI Card as a new option for its ProLiant servers, enabling customers to achieve secure transactions while optimizing server performance.
• Availability of its ultra-thin ProLiant DL360 with Intel 1 GHz Pentium III processors.
• Free trial upgrades for the Compaq Remote Insight Lights Out Edition management cards that will enable wireless remote server management from Compaq iPAQ™ handheld devices.
• ProLiant Clusters for SCO^® UnixWare^® that extend the Quick Install capabilities to additional servers and StorageWorks™products, providing easy cluster setup and deployment.
• ProLiant Clusters for Novell Netware^® that now offer new support for Secure Path and Fibre Channel SAN switching.

The AXL300 Accelerator PCI Card addresses customers' need to maximize transaction rates in e-commerce and Web serving environments while maintaining the highest levels of server performance. These security features, optimized for e-business environments, further augment the advantages Compaq provides to ProLiant customers, such as Intelligent Manageability, high performance, ease of deployment and serviceability, and engineering excellence.

"The value that Compaq provides its customers and partners represents a deep understanding of their computing environments and the solutions they need to maximize the potential of their businesses," said Brad Anderson, Vice President of Mainstream Servers, Compaq Industry Standard Server Group. "Security options such as the AXL300 Accelerator PCI Card in ProLiant servers tap our core heritage of industry-defining technology and deliver a solution that addresses issues at the very edge of our e-commerce customers' networks - where their sales are either made or lost."

ProLiant Solutions Optimized for E-Business

The new AXL300 Accelerator PCI Card enables ProLiant customers to deploy the simplified, secure and better performing e-business infrastructures demanded by Service Providers (SPs) and Internet-enabled companies. The new security solution can support more than 330 Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections per second by utilizing a dedicated co-processor on the PCI card that delivers zero degradation in Web application performance and works to overcome performance bottlenecks that can limit customers' e-businesses. The AXL300 PCI Card also provides the linear, scalable performance required to capitalize on demand in Internet-enabled environments, with the ability to deploy up to eight cards in a single server.

"The integration of the new Compaq AXL300 Accelerator PCI card with the next generation of RSA BSAFE cryptographic components will provide a significant performance advantage over applications employing other encryption methods," said Scott Schnell, senior vice president of marketing and corporate development at RSA Security. "RSA BSAFE software customers will be assured of achieving superior cryptographic performance for their secure applications when using Compaq ProLiant servers."

Also optimized for Web serving, the ProLiant DL360 ultra-thin 2-way server now supports the latest in Intel 1 GHz Pentium III processor releases, delivering maximum performance for SPs with Internet-enabled applications. To meet the demands of increasingly advanced remote management capabilities, Compaq is now offering a new firmware to its Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition management board customers, which will include a preview to wireless and dial-up access from Compaq's iPAQ H3600 series handheld device. In addition, the new firmware will also deliver new remote console and security enhancements.

High Availability and Management for ProLiant NetWare and UnixWare Clusters

Compaq continues to provide the most comprehensive line of industry-standard clustering solutions, encompassing all major standards-based operating systems and delivering full interoperability with Intelligent Manageability tools. New and upgraded ProLiant clustering solutions for Novell NetWare and SCO UnixWare meet customer needs for high availability clustering that is simple to deploy, cost effective and easily managed for growth.

The new ProLiant Cluster solutions for Novell NetWare address every level of enterprise computing with two- to eight-node capabilities, and provide the largest and most efficient industry-standard clusters with new support for the Secure Path redundant path manager and Fibre Channel SAN switching. Enhancements to two-node ProLiant Clusters for SCO UnixWare solutions extend the benefits of the Quick Install tool to additional Compaq products including larger and rackmountable ProLiant servers, StorageWorks RA4100 external FCAL technology, and the ServerNet™ I interconnect. Among the easiest to deploy clusters available, these two new SCO UnixWare solutions offer technology previously available only in the ProLiant Clusters for SCO UnixWareU/100 kit.

Pricing and Availability

The free wireless upgrade for the Remote Insight Lights Out Edition management board may be downloaded in early February from http://www.compaq.com/manage. All announced products are available today from Compaq Channel Partners and Compaq DirectPlus. The AXL300 Accelerator PCI Card is available immediately for $1495 and the ProLiant DL360 with the Intel 1GHz Pentium III processor starts at $4775. New Novell NetWare Cluster solutions and Quick Install Clusters for SCO UnixWare start at less than $5,000.

About Compaq

Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is the largest supplier of computing systems in the world. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures, and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs.

Compaq products and services are sold in more than 200 countries directly to businesses, through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners, and directly to businesses and consumers through Compaq's e-commerce Web site at http://www.compaq.com. Compaq markets its products and services primarily to customers from the business, home, government, and education sectors. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products and services are available at http://www.compaq.com.