News release

Orange Business Services and HP win European Commission sTESTA contract valued up to US$268 million (€210 million)

Building the European Union’s Homeland Security Communication Platforms

Orange Business Services and HP have won a contract valued at up to US$268 million (€210 million) to deliver an innovative and modular approach to establish the European Union’s secure and reliable communications exchange backbone, known as sTESTA (secured Trans-European Services for Telematics between Administrations).

The sTESTA initiative, led by the European Commission, Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry, was launched within the framework of the IDABC programme (Interoperable Delivery of pan-European e-Government Services to Public Administrations, Business and Citizens) and is seen as a key contributor to achieving the Lisbon Treaty goals that have been reinforced within the e-Europe i2010 strategy.

Orange Business Services and HP are dedicated to successfully implementing, operating and supporting the European Commission’s objectives of this initiative:

• Facilitate interoperability amongst different systems and the spread of best practices;
• Reinforce cooperation in several Community Policies’ areas within the European Union;
• Enhance pan-European information exchange within a free European market.

sTESTA aims at interconnecting the EU bodies with national authorities, such as administrations and agencies spread across Europe. This classified telecommunication network will contribute to the swift launch of EU homeland security by establishing a common platform with guaranteed performance levels and security.

“We are extremely pleased the European Commission acknowledges that we can deliver the highest quality solution that meets both their communications and financial requirements,” said Barbara Dalibard, president and CEO at Orange Business Services. “Orange and HP have been innovation partners for over a decade. Our winning solution designed especially for the sTESTA project is the natural outcome of this sustained collaborative partnership.”

“Thanks to this contract, HP is strengthening our position within the European Institutions and further helping the EU to establish its homeland security backbone,” said Francesco Serafini, senior vice president and managing director in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and the Technology Solutions Group, EMEA, for HP. ”It is illustrating HP’s capability to manage complex international environments. Our expertise in the field of IT service management combined with our methodology will make a strong contribution to the successful implementation of the sTESTA project.”

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2006, HP revenue totalled $90.0 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

About Orange Business Services

Orange Business Services represents the business communications solutions and services provided by the France Telecom Group as of June 1st, 2006. They were previously sold under the France Telecom, Orange, Equant, Etrali, Almerys, EGT, Expertel Consulting, France Telecom Intelmatique, SETIB and Solicia brands.

The offers include converged voice, data and mobile services as well as IT expertise and managed services, all designed to transform business processes and improve productivity. Orange Business Services is present in 166 countries and territories and serves customers in 220.

www.orange-business.com