News release

Compaq to Deliver Services and Solutions to Customers for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today announced that it will be providing solutions incorporating services and ProLiant™ servers to enable companies to easily utilize the capabilities of Microsoft® (Nasdaq: MSFT) SharePoint™ Portal Server. To support customers who will adopt Microsoft's SharePoint Portal Server, Compaq is developing a suite of services to optimize the SharePoint Portal Server, has opened three global SharePoint Portal Server Solutions Centers for customer testing, and is training 150 Compaq Professional Services consultants in its Compaq Global Services division. Compaq is also developing fully tested and recommended ProLiant server configurations, to provide an optimized server platform for the new solutions. Compaq's solutions for SharePoint Portal Server will be available in the spring of 2001.

"Rapidly publishing, finding and organizing information effectively is a challenge for businesses worldwide," said Ron Eller, vice president of Solutions, Compaq Industry Standard Server Group. "Compaq's ProLiant server based solutions, running Microsoft's SharePoint Portal Server and implemented by Compaq's highly experienced Professional Services team, quickly turn networks into enterprise knowledge intranets that bring people, processes and information together to increase productivity and agility."

Compaq solutions for SharePoint Portal Server will be an important business tool for Microsoft customers and a valuable component of enterprise customers' knowledge management infrastructure. Customers can tap into Compaq's proven experience and expertise with Microsoft technology, to provide superior solutions and support. As part of its own commitment to help simplify the work of corporate IT professionals, Compaq is targeting Microsoft enterprise customers interested in intranet portal solutions, document collaboration solutions or other collaborative applications.

"With today's announcement, Compaq is demonstrating its commitment to supporting customers in the adoption of Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server running on ProLiant servers," said Jeff Teper, general manager of the SharePoint Portal Server Business Unit at Microsoft. "Compaq's ProLiant server technology and services expertise are very highly regarded in the industry and will play an integral part in our joint efforts to deliver an extremely valuable corporate portal business solution to enterprises around the world."

Compaq Solutions for SharePoint Portal Server

Compaq ProLiant servers are a key part of the SharePoint Portal Server Joint Development Program. In May, Compaq will deliver to customers defined, tested and recommended ProLiant server configurations for SharePoint Portal Server solutions. User groups and other customers interested in evaluating SharePoint Portal Server Release Candidate code can now take advantage of the availability of the new platforms and new services, such as the Intranet Publishing Service and the Information Search Portal Service. The Intranet Publishing Service helps user groups improve content creation and publish information dynamically to an intranet portal that conforms to internal corporate standards. The Information Search Portal Service helps organizations seek the exact information needed and present it through a user-friendly portal interface. Additional services will be available later this year.

To develop service, support and knowledge repositories for its global customers, Compaq has established global SharePoint Portal Server Practice Solution Centers in Washington, D.C., Dublin, Ireland, and Utrecht, The Netherlands. These Solution Centers will enable customers to accelerate the time-to-market for their solutions and minimize implementation risks by utilizing Compaq proof-of-concept designs and demonstrations, testing and infrastructure planning. In addition, Compaq is training approximately 150 Professional Services consultants in EMEA and North America, further enhancing the skills of consultants with existing Microsoft expertise.