HP First to Run Oracle Database on IA-64 Simulator; Leading Enterprise Database and Application Provider Demonstrated on HP-UX-based IA-64 Simulator

Business Wire, March 8, 1999

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 1999-- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced it is the first to run Oracle(R) database on an IA-64 (Intel Architecture, 64-bit) simulator.

HP's IA-64 simulator, which has run HP-UX(1) since early 1997, enables testing and application optimization for greater overall system performance. By successfully running the Oracle database on its simulator, HP continues to lead industry momentum for IA-64 while preparing its customers for the next wave of computing.

HP demonstrated this latest milestone at a meeting of its enterprise platform partners, including Hitachi, Mitsubishi, NEC, Oki and Ascend Communications. Additionally, HP demonstrated ME10, a leading CAD (Computer Aided Design) application as well as X/Motif, a standard user interface for UNIX(R) system workstations.

"Oracle's database is an undisputed leader in large corporate enterprises," said Jim Davis, general manager for HP's IA-64 program. "As the first company to run Oracle software on an IA-64 simulator, HP is maintaining the lead in preparing our customers and the industry for IA-64."

"We're pleased to be the first to achieve this milestone with HP," said Gary Bloom, executive vice president, Oracle. "We are committed to optimizing Oracle 8i -- the database for the Internet -- on HP's IA-64 platform to deliver the performance and scalability needed to run high-end applications for the biggest enterprises in the world."

HP's Advantage: Optimized Performance and Ease of Implementation

As Intel's exclusive partner in co-developing EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing), the foundation for IA-64, HP has unmatched insight on the technology. This knowledge enables HP to easily optimize software and system architectures to best utilize IA-64. Ultimately, HP's customers will enjoy enhanced performance on IA-64 systems due to this system-level optimization.

Other examples of HP's leadership and innovation on IA-64 include the following:

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--   HP-UX 11, shipping since November 1997, is a 64-bit, IA-64-ready
     mission-critical operating environment. Customers with
     applications on HP-UX will enjoy full IA-64 binary compatibility
     without changing or porting their applications. HP-UX was the
     first operating environment to run on HP's IA-64 simulator (early
     1997).
--   HP's chipsets, the technology uniting microprocessors, memory and
     IO, are designed specifically for IA-64. Chipsets are an
     important factor in overall system performance, and HP combined
     its knowledge of EPIC with its experience in mission-critical
     computing to ensure that its IA-64 chipsets are unmatched. HP
     demonstrated the first IA-64 chipset and system bus in October
     1998.
--   HP Labs has been developing EPIC compilers since 1989 through the
     company's Compiler and Architecture Research (CAR) group.
     Compilers use access to architectural information and control
     over processor execution to expose, exploit and enhance
     opportunities for parallelism within an application, extracting
     maximum performance from EPIC/IA-64 systems.
--   For those customers with large amounts of custom code or complex
     environments, HP has multiple IA-64 transition services in place,
     including Designing the Future, a worldwide information service
     for IA-64 software developers; IA-64 early-planning services,
     HP's IA-64 transition consulting program; and HP's IA-64 Software
     Development Kit (SDK) and Transition Toolkit, available on HP's
     Web site.

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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.

(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.

Note to Editors: UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Oracle is a registered U.S. trademark of Oracle Corporation, Redwood City, California.