News release

Students Worldwide to Learn From Leaders at World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2002

Compaq Partners With World Links and Forbes.com to Create a Global Education Program for the Digital Divide

Compaq (NYSE: CPQ) today announced a partnership with World Links and Forbes.com to make content available from this year's World Economic Forum in New York to high schools, colleges and universities throughout the world for the first time ever.

Compaq, a technology partner for the event, is developing a library of World Economic Forum sessions and speeches, along with interviews with key participants, to be made available over Forbes.com for reference and research materials to high schools, colleges and universities.

In addition, Compaq is working with World Links, a non-profit organization that helps youths in the developing world develop the knowledge and skills they need to create, and take advantage of, income-generating opportunities. Together they will develop a broader education program using content from the sessions. As part of the education work of the Global Digital Divide Initiative to develop community development programs, World Links will reach out to seven target countries: Brazil, Chile, Ghana, India, Jordan, South Africa and Vietnam. In addition to the library of Forum sessions and speeches, Compaq, in cooperation with the World Economic Forum and World Links, is producing dedicated Internet programming focusing on economic issues of particular interest to each country.

"This is an opportunity to broaden the scope and reach of one of the world's premier economic forums to students throughout the world," said Michael Capellas, chairman and chief executive officer of Compaq Computer Corp. "As a technology partner of the World Economic Forum and a leader in education, Compaq is helping to educate the next generation of leaders around the world."

Among the colleges and universities scheduled to receive the World Economic Forum electronic library produced by Compaq for classroom use are Oxford University, London School of Economics, UCLA, USC, Georgetown University, MIT, University of Florida, University of Miami, Florida State University, Yale, Princeton and Northwestern University.

"Forbes.com is particularly pleased to assist Compaq in bringing the important work of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum to the academic community globally using our site," said Bruce Rogers, vice president of Forbes.com.

The theme this year is "Leadership in Fragile Times: A Vision for a Shared Future." The meeting runs January 31 - February 4 at The Waldorf-Astoria, and is designed to foster collaboration to overcome global problems such as poverty, slowing economic growth and global conflicts.

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org), based in Geneva, Switzerland, is an independent organization committed to improving the state of the world. Funded by the contributions of 1,000 of the world's foremost corporations, the Forum acts in the spirit of entrepreneurship in the global public interest to further economic growth and social progress. The Forum serves its members and society by creating partnerships between and among business, political, intellectual and other leaders of society to define, discuss and advance key issues on the global agenda. Incorporated in 1971 as a foundation, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit, and is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. In 1995 the Forum was awarded NGO consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, and desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200 countries. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.