News release

Compaq Named Preferred IT Partner for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

WADA Signs Agreement With Compaq for Montreal-Based Headquarters, Partners Strategically for Regional Offices Worldwide

Compaq Canada Corp. today announced that it was awarded a three-year agreement to equip and provide managed information technology services to the Montreal-based international headquarters of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which also named Compaq as its preferred IT partner for its regional offices in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Faced with a tight timeline to prepare WADA's new international headquarters in Montreal for its opening on April 2, Compaq provided the organization with a complete, end-to-end IT solution, which includes a local wireless network for e-mail and mobile computing functionality, file and print management services, a technical help desk call center, and remote systems monitoring.

The computer hardware employed in this installation includes Compaq ProLiant DL380 servers, Evo 600 desktop and laptop PCs, and iPAQ Pocket PCs with wireless capabilities.

"Technology underpins our ability to reach out and communicate with our partners, who include the International Olympic Committee, the governments of the world, as well as all international and national sport federations, National Olympic Committees and all the athletes," said Andreas Hoistad, WADA's senior manager for Technology.

"The focus of this project on our administrative IT requirements," he continued, "lays the foundation for us to move forward with the electronic delivery of all our outreach services, including doping control and results management."

Daniel Mercier, Compaq Canada's regional vice president, Quebec, said, "WADA needed a complete computing environment to support its administrative functions. We were able to very rapidly develop a fully managed solution that takes care of all their IT needs."

Financially subsidized by various national governments and the Olympic Movement, WADA promotes and coordinates, at an international level, the fight against doping in sports, in all its forms. Through the successful initiatives of this autonomous agency, the Olympic movement and the world's public authorities have intensified their efforts to keep drugs out of sport.

From its temporary headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, WADA's Foundation Board last summer chose Montreal as the site of its permanent headquarters from among four other cities: Lausanne; Bonn, Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; and Vienna, Austria.

In January, WADA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to a number of IT providers, both globally and locally in the Montreal market. Hoistad says Compaq was chosen as the organization's IT solutions provider based on its demonstrated ability to deliver both the technology and back-end systems support the organization required, as well as having a strong global presence to serve WADA's international offices.

"We were looking for a partner," Hoistad explained, "who we felt could credibly deliver on our requirements within a short time frame, that had the product range we were seeking and the service capability to get the system up and operating smoothly over time. Compaq gave us the confidence that it could deliver on all these fronts."

About WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) seeks to foster a doping free culture in sport. It combines the resources of sport and government to enhance, supplement and coordinate existing efforts to educate athletes about the harms of doping, reinforce the ideal of fair play and sanction those who cheat themselves and their sport.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) is a leading global provider of information technology products, services and solutions for enterprise customers. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets information technology equipment, software, services and solutions, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, personal desktop and notebook computers, and personal entertainment and Internet access devices that are sold in more than 200 countries directly and through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.