Microsoft and HP Announce Worldwide Exchange Messaging and Collaboration Solutions For Enterprise Customers

Microsoft and HP Announce Worldwide Exchange Messaging and Collaboration Solutions For Enterprise Customers

REDMOND, Wash., and PALO ALTO, Calif., May 13, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. today announced that they are working together on end-to-end solutions based on Microsoft® Exchange designed to enhance electronic messaging and collaboration in large corporations. HP will launch a set of global initiatives to foster the successful deployment and support of Exchange for enterprise customers. This program supports HP’s strategic direction to provide leading Microsoft Windows NT® operating system-based solutions, services and support worldwide.

HP, through a new dedicated sales force, plans to team with Microsoft on messaging and collaboration solutions based on Microsoft Exchange – running on HP NetServer systems that are optimized for Exchange-based applications. Exchange-focused services include project planning, design, installation, implementation and support. HP will utilize its strengths in providing broad-based solutions by certifying a target of 1,000 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSEs) and creating two solution centers to develop and highlight solutions built around Exchange. In addition, HP plans to assign 200 pre-sales technical consultants to support its growing worldwide Exchange program.

“Microsoft Exchange has emerged as one of the top mission-critical applications for businesses today,”
said Ann Livermore, vice president and general manager of the software and services group at HP.
“Messaging has very high requirements for reliability, scalability, availability and manageability because it functions as the baseline infrastructure for such business applications as workflow and process automation. With 15 years of experience in enterprise messaging, HP has a proven track record in all four areas – having implemented over 7 million messaging seats worldwide. We intend to apply this expertise, a focused sales force and end-to-end service capabilities in offering competitive solutions for Exchange deployments.”

“Today, more customers around the world are achieving incredible business value with the Microsoft Exchange platform,”
said Deborah Willingham, vice president of the enterprise customer unit at Microsoft.
“Microsoft’s scalable and manageable technology – combined with HP’s scalable and reliable NetServer systems and its 15 years of services expertise – offers enterprise customers what they need most: powerful end-to-end solutions, cost-effective implementation and deployment capabilities, and quality pre- and post-sale service and support to keep their businesses running effectively around the clock.”

Joint Initiatives

Worldwide Enterprise Exchange Marketing and Sales Program is led by HP’s Exchange sales team and supported by technical consultants. This program will focus on optimized HP NetServer solutions, Exchange Professional Consulting services and HP enterprise support.

HP’s objective is to be the premier messaging solution provider in the enterprise. HP will continue to provide OpenMail and UNIX-based technology and solutions to support its installed base, or in specific environments where customers request OpenMail solutions. In all other cases, HP will have a dedicated Microsoft Exchange sales force to promote Exchange solutions.

HP has opened two competency centers that are jointly staffed by Microsoft and HP employees and are directly linked with the company’s existing integration centers and its NetServer and PC divisions. These sites deliver Enterprise messaging services to enterprise customers and major partners. Competency centers have been opened in the United Kingdom (dedicated to messaging) and France (dedicated to the Microsoft BackOffice® family). Two additional centers are planned for the United States and Asia.

Worldwide Enterprise Messaging Consulting and Implementation Practice promotes and deploys enterprise messaging and collaboration solutions based on Microsoft Exchange. This new HP consulting and implementation practice will deliver solutions based on Microsoft Exchange and will be one of the nine dedicated practices in HP’s professional services organization. HP plans to add 1,000 MCSEs within three years to its 5,000-strong work force of consulting and support staff focused on Microsoft-based solutions.

HP will also extend the high availability services for Windows NT and Microsoft Authorized Support to Exchange solutions. HP plans to offer additional services including migration, co-existence, integration and security for Exchange implementations, and international services for large, complex Exchange deployments . HP’s continuing investment includes outsourcing, training, manageability, and high-availability services and support for Windows NT and BackOffice.

Worldwide Exchange on NetServer Program focuses on the optimization, sizing and benchmarking of Microsoft Exchange on HP NetServer systems. Together, Microsoft and HP have demonstrated the scalability and performance of HP’s eight-way NetServer system running Microsoft Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition by supporting 14,000 Exchange mail users on a single server. Through Exchange-specific benchmarks, tuning, configuration and sizing guides, this program will ensure customer confidence in performance, high availability and scalability for Exchange implementations on HP NetServer systems.

All HP NetServer L Series systems include HP OpenView ManageX/SE to provide simplified proactive enterprise management of Exchange and all Microsoft BackOffice-based applications.

Customer Confidence

Nokia Corp., a leading telecommunications company, has selected Microsoft and HP to incorporate the Microsoft Exchange enterprise messaging solution to more than 40,000 seats in its global environment.

“Nokia chose Microsoft technologies and its Exchange messaging solution, and we’ve entrusted HP and Microsoft with the design and implementation,”
said Mikko Kosonen, senior vice president of strategy and information management at Nokia Corp.
“We are excited about the scalability, innovation and new capabilities that Exchange will add to our business environment and are confident with HP and Microsoft’s proven, global experience in messaging, enterprise environments and solutions. The strength of the HP and Microsoft collaboration has already been demonstrated at Nokia. During the design phase, consultant teams from both companies successfully worked together to produce positive, tangible results for our business.”

Strategic Messaging for Enterprise Customers for Windows NT

As announced in March 1997, HP and Microsoft are working together to simplify enterprise computing by combining HP’s expertise in enterprise solutions with Microsoft technologies and products designed to deliver value to enterprise customers. The latest initiatives between HP and Microsoft ensure an end-to-end customer delivery system for Exchange implementations, including pre- and post-sale services and support. With an expanded world-class support and services organization as an underpinning, HP is providing customers with a powerful combination of solutions – optimized platforms, dedicated sales teams and enhanced deployment capabilities.

About Nokia

With headquarters in Finland, Nokia is a broad-scope telecommunications company supplying mobile phones, mobile and fixed telecommunications networks, data communications solutions, multimedia terminals and computer monitors. With sales in 130 countries, net sales totaled FIM 52.6 billion ($9.8 billion U.S.) in 1997. Nokia, listed on NYSE (NOK.A), employs more than 38,000 people worldwide.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Co. is the official information-technology hardware and maintenance supplier to the 1998 World Cup soccer tournament.

HP is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 123,300 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.

About Microsoft

Microsoft and its worldwide enterprise partners deliver a total solution: integrated platforms, powerful business applications and comprehensive global services that drive the

success of its enterprise customers. Large organizations can work directly with Microsoft or choose among the many highly qualified Microsoft enterprise partners to implement solutions based on Microsoft enterprise products. More than 13,000 customers in 45 countries are realizing significant business value and competitive advantage from Microsoft worldwide enterprise solutions.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows NT and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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