HP Workstations Win Top Ranking in Datapro 1996 International User Survey; HP Users to Increase Investments in PA-RISC Workstations

Business Wire, July 23, 1996

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 1996--Hewlett- Packard Company's PA-RISC(1)-based workstations recently received the highest overall user-satisfaction rating in the 1996 International User Ratings Survey of Workstations conducted by Datapro Information Services Group, outscoring workstations from Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and all other competitors. The survey reported that while HP users plan to increase their annual expenditures on HP workstations, SGI users plan to reduce budgets. According to the report, IBM and Sun are expected to grow at the industry average of 14 percent.

HP's workstations received an overall weighted-average rating of 3.9 out of a possible 5. HP was the highest-ranking vendor in the upgradeability category, demonstrating its ability to provide the industry's best long-term investment protection. HP also was the most consistently highly ranked vendor in the other major categories, including applications availability, graphics capability, support for industry standards and vendor viability, performance and service and support. Users also indicated a growing requirement for mixed-operating-system support, an additional HP strength.

"The actual results of the survey make it clear that the real winner is the HP customer," said Mark A. Canepa, general manager of HP's Workstation Systems Division. "The findings of the survey validate HP's strategy of delivering the most complete combination of workstation processing power, price/performance, graphics and investment protection for users' technical-enterprise-computing environments."

UNIX SYSTEM/WINDOWS NT MARKET EMERGING

While the survey indicated that 80 percent to 90 percent of application workload for workstations will be performed by UNIX(R) system workstations during the next two years, the market rapidly is evolving into a dual environment that includes UNIX and Windows NT systems. More than 45 percent of respondents already are using or evaluating Windows NT, according to the report.

HP is adding to its flagship UNIX system technical workstations a high-performance line of Intel-based Windows NT personal workstations for the low-end technical desktop market; the personal workstations are expected to be available later this year. With these complementary products, HP is positioned to provide unparalleled choice and flexibility for customers in this rapid-growth, mixed technical-computing environment.

"Datapro believes that Windows NT technical desktops will impact UNIX at the low end, where there will be a mix of UNIX and NT solutions," said Peter Lowber, senior analyst, Datapro Information Services. "Vendors like HP, which support UNIX and NT are positioned to gain market share."

"Since this survey was conducted, HP has further strengthened its product arsenal with powerful new PA-8000 processors and systems, the industry's fastest 3-D graphics architecture, HP VISUALIZE and leadership connectivity solutions for the engineering enterprise," said Canepa. "With these new products and our ongoing commitment to providing unparalleled service, support and adherence to industry standards, HP is well-positioned to defend its ranking as the workstation vendor of choice in 1997."

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The 1996 workstation-user ratings study was based on a questionnaire sent to 10,500 IT professionals with UNIX system workstations in the Americas (Canada, the United States, Central and South America); Europe (U.K., Italy, France and Germany); and the Asia/Pacific region. The survey targeted Digital Equipment Corp., HP, IBM, SGI and Sun.

Datapro Information Services Group, a division of McGraw-Hill, is a leading provider of objective and analytical information on computers, communications and office technology and markets.

HP is the world's leading supplier of open enterprise computing and is the second-largest computer supplier in the United States, with computer revenue of $25.3 billion in its 1995 fiscal year. HP has been delivering PA-RISC(2)-based business computers since 1986 with high reliability, data integrity, data availability and systems availability.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 108,300 employees and had revenue of $31.5 billion in its 1995 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/go/workstations. -0-

Note to Editors: (1) PA-RISC stands for Precision Architecture, reduced-instruction-set computing.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open(tm) Company Limited.

X/Open is a trademark of X/Open Company Limited in the UK and other countries.

CONTACT: Hewlett-Packard Company

Lynn Wehner, 508/436-5017

or

Copithorne & Bellows for HP

Tim Hurley, 508/436-5042