HP ProCurve Switch 8000M Wins Network Computing's "Best Value" Award; HP Networking Solution Dubbed "Second to None" Among Top-Tier Vendors

Business Wire, Sept 8, 1998

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 1998-- Hewlett-Packard Company, the leader in networked systems for workgroups, today announced that its ProCurve Switch 8000M has won the coveted "Best Value" award in Network Computing magazine's Gigabit switch comparison titled "Gigabit Ethernet Switches Set To Take On The Enterprise."

The comparison, which included switches from Extreme, Cabletron, Bay and Cisco, lauded the HP switch's performance and its advanced management features. The article gave the HP ProCurve Switch 8000M a Best Value Award based on the low pricing of $150 per port; the strong performance of the switch in performance testing; and the HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches management software, which Network Computing called "second to none."

"HP is honored to have received this award," said Jan Bell, worldwide marketing manager for HP's Workgroup Networks Division. "The HP ProCurve Switch 8000M provides an excellent example of the aggressive pricing, strong performance, manageability and flexibility our networking products provide to HP customers."

The comparison praised HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches management software, which ships with all managed HP ProCurve switches and hubs. The fully Web-based management solution provides traffic-monitoring capabilities, recommendations on improving performance and topology mapping for the entire network. The software gives easy access to the embedded Web-based management found on managed HP ProCurve devices.

The HP ProCurve Switch 8000M is a 10/100/1000Base-T switch that offers flexibility and excellent performance. It can house up to 10 hot-swappable modules. Modules are available in four-port 100Base-FX, eight-port 10/100Base-T, four-port 10Base-FL and single-port Gigabit Ethernet configurations.

The HP ProCurve Switch 8000M offers HP's switch-meshing technology. Switch meshing allows customers to build a mesh of up to 12 switches, offering high availability and high performance by creating multiple active links across the network. For additional high availability, the HP ProCurve Switch 8000M offers redundant internal power supplies.

All HP hubs and switches include a lifetime limited warranty for as long as the customer owns the product, as well as free end-user support.

ABOUT HP

Hewlett-Packard Company's Workgroup Networks Division is a leading supplier of networking products including Ethernet hubs and switches, network management applications and remote connectivity modules that allow customers to build proactive networks.

Hewlett-Packard Company 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 127,200 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.

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

    CONTACT:  Hewlett-Packard Company
               Tomas Walberg, 916/785-2248
               tomas_walberg@hp.com
                    or
               Copithorne & Bellows for HP
               Bill Johnson, 415/975-2268
               bill.johnson@cbpr.com