HP Delivers End-to-End Network- and Service-Management Capabilities to Internet Service Providers

Business Wire, March 29, 1999

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 1999--

HP Solidifies Presence in ISP Market by Unveiling

Complementary Network- and Service-management Solutions

to Address the Business Needs of ISPs

Moving aggressively to meet the needs of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Hewlett-Packard Company today debuted network- and service-management solutions that can be deployed together or as standalone offerings.

HP OpenView Customer Views for Network Node Manager (NNM), announced today, can be used with Firehunter 2.0 or Firehunter/PRO 2.0, also announced today, to give service providers comprehensive control of the network, server and application components of their service-delivery environments. This capability translates into uncompromised levels of service to customers -- a key differentiator in the increasingly competitive ISP market.

HP OpenView Customer Views for NNM, an add-on product to HP OpenView NNM 6.0, is tailored to meet the network-management needs of service providers. It allows service providers to manage and view network resources, as well as network and service events, from a customer-centric approach, permitting a sharper focus on value-added, revenue-generating customer services.

Firehunter 2.0 and Firehunter/PRO 2.0 are HP's latest end-to-end service-management software solutions for midsized and large ISPs, respectively. With these enhanced products, ISPs can differentiate their offerings by guaranteeing a specified level of quality and improved customer satisfaction, while achieving profitability in the Internet-services market.

Since the enterprise is relying increasingly on the Internet as a primary means of conducting business, the ability to maintain and validate customer-specific service-level agreements (SLAs) is becoming a key point of competitive differentiation for ISPs.

"ISPs require tailored solutions that allow them to exceed the demanding requirements of their customers," said Olivier Helleboid, general manager, HP OpenView Business Unit. "With today's introductions, HP is sending the strong message that we are dedicated to building a solutions portfolio for ISPs that is second to none."

"Internet and Web-based services, such as e-mail, Web hosting and electronic commerce, can make or break an enterprise," said Andy Belcher, general manager of HP's Telecom Systems Division. "Customer expectations for availability, reliability and response time are increasing. When HP OpenView Customer Views for NNM is deployed in conjunction with Firehunter, ISPs find an optimum means to meet today's rigorous service quality and assurance demands."

To ensure quality of Internet services, ISPs must have a complete view of the service environment. This includes access to network services and value-added applications, such as e-mail, Web and news, that anchor an ISP's revenue base.

Alone, the HP OpenView Customer Views for NNM provides IP monitoring and fault management. When integrated with Firehunter, complementary linked views of service health covering application and network services are provided. ISPs are given preemptive alerts on service anomalies so that they can quickly trace and resolve problems. In addition, they are able to correlate problems with specific customers or SLAs and resolve them before the customer sees them.

U.S. Pricing and Availability

Pricing for HP OpenView Customer Views for NNM starts at $4,995 for 100 customers and ranges up to $15,995 for a non-restricted number of customers. Pricing for Firehunter 2.0 and Firehunter PRO 2.0 starts at $14,950. Both products are expected to be available April 1 from HP and designated HP solution partners and resellers.

About HP

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 122,800 employees and had 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.