News release

HP Joins U.S. Dept. of Commerce-led Digital Freedom Initiative

Partnership to Leverage HP Technology Expertise to Promote Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced its support for the U.S. Department of Commerce-led Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI). The new initiative is a public-private partnership aimed at fostering technology-driven economic growth and entrepreneurship in developing nations.

To support this effort, HP will contribute planning assistance, business expertise and IT strategy consulting. HP also will participate in the DFI oversight board to help measure and evaluate progress and advise on program improvements. "The Digital Freedom Initiative makes it clear that financial capital alone is not the greatest wealth multinationals can bring to the developing world; it is human capital. It is experience and knowledge and the ability to use those skills to empower local communities. It is using technology not as an end in itself but as an enabler to address fundamental problems of hunger, disease and economic development," said Carly Fiorina, HP chairman and chief executive officer.

The DFI will be piloted in Senegal over the next three years and is expected to be rolled out to more than 20 countries in the next five years.

"HP has been working on the ground in communities around the world to promote economic development by co-inventing locally relevant IT solutions, building capacity and forging new kinds of partnerships," said Debra Dunn, senior vice president, HP Corporate Affairs. "The DFI complements these efforts, and we look forward to applying our learning and expertise to support the initiative."

HP's e-inclusion mission is to provide people access to greater social and economic opportunities by closing the gap between technology-empowered and technology-excluded communities -- focusing on sustainability for the communities and HP. More information is available at http://www.hp.com/e-inclusion.

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 acquisition of Compaq Computer Corporation on May 3, 2002. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.