News release

HP Increases Use of Server Resources with Enhanced Workload Management Pack

Latest ProLiant Essentials Software Helps Customers Lower Costs Through Server Consolidation

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 18, 2002

HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced the availability of the latest version of its ProLiant Essentials Workload Management Pack, a software solution that controls and dynamically allocates system resources on HP ProLiant servers running Windows® 2000 and enables customers to tap into under-used resources in their server environments.

Part of HP's adaptive infrastructure strategy, the ProLiant Essentials Workload Management Pack v2.0 ensures that applications running on ProLiant servers are protected from each other. This provides more reliable server operation and enables 4- and 8-way ProLiant servers to be used for server consolidation, with multiple applications running on a single server.

With the software, customers can define processor and memory resources for specific applications to efficiently allocate resources, streamline the number of servers and operating systems, and reduce the need for application management. With these capabilities, customers can maximize utilization of their server resources and lower their total cost of ownership through consolidation.

Customers can be alerted to changes to server resources through notification events sent to HP Insight Manager and HP OpenView software. This integration provides customers management capabilities that range from in-depth systems management to comprehensive service management across large enterprises.

The HP ProLiant Essentials Workload Management Pack is now available for $499 per server. More details are available at http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/proliantessentials/rpmdescription.html.

About HP

HP is a leading global provider of products, technologies, solutions and services to consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. HP completed its merger transaction involving Compaq Computer Corp. on May 3, 2002. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that the market for the sale of certain products and services may not develop as expected; that development of these products and services may not proceed as planned; 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 quarter ended April 30, 2002 and reports filed subsequent to HP's annual report on Form 10-K, as amended on January 30, 2002, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2001. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, HP's results could differ materially from HP's expectations in these statements. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.