HP Announces Smart Internet Usage 2.0 and IP Usage-management Alliance With Cisco and EDS

Business Wire, April 26, 1999

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 1999--

Next-generation Internet Service-management Solution

Delivers Critical ISP Network Information,

Creating New Services, Tailoring Businesses to Customer Needs

Hewlett-Packard Company today announced a significant Internet service-management advancement, Smart Internet Usage (SIU) 2.0, which offers simplified usage metering, unlimited scalability, flexibility for multiple usage applications, and multiplatform support (HP-UX(1), Windows NT(R) and Solaris) to ISPs.

HP also announced an Internet Protocol (IP) usage-management alliance with Cisco Systems, Inc. and EDS that will leverage Cisco's NetFlow data-collection technology and EDS' business-consulting and systems-integration expertise to enable IP usage-management solutions for the complete ISP value chain.

SIU gives service providers and enterprise-network managers a consolidated, Internet data-mediation platform for billing, tracking and data mining of subscriber utilization of network resources and services.

SIU 2.0

The following SIU 2.0 capabilities provide unprecedented flexibility and power to ISVs and system integrators and can be tailored to special needs, such as tiered service and billing plans, strategic marketing, capacity planning and data mining:

-- distributed data-store architecture for high availability

and unlimited scalability;

-- IDR , a versatile user-configurable interface for

data-output structure and format;

-- configurable rules interface for business-policy management;

and

-- open APIs for development of new usage applications and

business models.

"HP is powering communications with SIU 2.0, giving ISPs critical vision and information to create new revenue-generating services and better retain customers, while keeping basic service costs low," said Sanjay Uppal, general manager for HP's Internet Infrastructure Operation. "This announcement solidifies HP's premier position in IP usage-management solutions."

"Usage management -- tracking, profiling and analysis -- is a key differentiator for increasing ISP revenues while enhancing customer satisfaction," said Herb Madan, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Network and Services Management Business Unit. "By uniting key technologies, we will enable ISPs to deliver best-inharles Ansley, president of EDS' Communications ounts of usage data from the network and deliver it in a clear, highly valuable format. The IP usage-management alliance gives ISPs tools to constantly improve service oP's SIU 2.0 platform provides aggregation, correincrease existing ISP infrastructure capabilities, expanding ISPs' networks and IT management capabilities. EDS' business-consulting and systems-integration expertise ensures that IP management solutions have the highest levels of compatibility and interoperability, across multiple aplies communications IT infrastructure to every Fortune 500 telecommunications company in the world today. HP and its partners deliver management, network intelligence, billing and customer-care solutions for UNIX and Windows NT system pltt-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services for business and home -- is focused on capitalizing on the opportunities of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic services. HP had computer-related revenue of $39.5 billion in its 1998 fiscal year.

HP plans to launch a new and independent measurement company consisting of its industry-leading test-and-measurement, components, chemical-analysis and medical businesses. These businesses represented $7.6 billion of HP's total revenue in fiscal 1998. With leading positions in multiple market segments, this technology-based company will focus on high-growth opportunities such as communications and life sciences.

HP has 122,800 employees worldwide and had total revenue of $47.1 billion in its 1998 fiscal year. Information about HP, its products and the company's Year 2000 program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

(1) HP-UX Release 10.20 and later and HP-UX Release 11.00 and later (in both 32- and 64-bit configurations) on all HP 9000 computers are Open Group UNIX 95 branded products.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Windows NT is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.