Agilent Technologies and HP Sign Strategic Reseller Agreement for Agilent's Firehunter, Allowing HP to Offer End-to-End Internet-Service Management Solution for E-business - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Dec 6, 1999

Agilent Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company, Thursday announced a strategic agreement that allows HP to sell Agilent's popular Firehunter family of Internet service-assurance solutions. Firehunter integrates with HP's industry-leading Internet-management solutions -- OpenView IT/O and Network Node Manager, OpenView Observer, WebQoS, and several others -- to provide one of the first deliverable, end-to-end Internet management solution that keep pace with the accelerating changes in e-world services and technology.

Firehunter is one of the fastest-selling lines of Internet service-assurance solutions on the market today. The software provides vital functionality for proactive management of the performance and availability of business-critical and value-added services, including mail, news, Web, Web Hosting and e-commerce. Firehunter allows Internet-, enterprise- and application- service providers to not only monitor and report effectively on core services but to go one step further by monitoring and reporting on service level agreements (SLAs) in real time on a per-customer basis. Users can quickly troubleshoot real and potential problems, increase operational efficiency and verify optimal service for increased customer satisfaction.

"The world of e's -- e-services, e-business, e-commerce, e-talk -- has enormous potential for service providers if they can maximize efficiency, provide the highest-quality service and adapt quickly to fast-paced innovations in technology," said Tom White, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Communications Solutions Group. "HP's Internet management solutions, combined with Agilent's Firehunter product suite, will allow service providers -- Internet and enterprise -- to do just that. Firehunter's unique technology is a crucial component in a comprehensive solution that will establish a new standard in QoS in the extremely competitive and rapidly changing arena of e-business.

"Customers around the world have found that Firehunter actually pays for itself within the first few months of operation," said White. "Service providers can combine Firehunter with HP's extensive range of powerful Internet management solutions to assure the highest caliber of service across their entire infrastructure and realize immediate revenue gains. This agreement establishes an important strategic relationship between Agilent and HP. We expect to work together to deliver the highest quality and most robust solutions for e-business, now and in the future."

For more information about Firehunter, visit http://www.firehunter.com.

For more information about HP Internet solutions, visit http://www.hp.com. About Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Agilent Technologies is a diversified technology company, resulting from Hewlett-Packard Company's plan to strategically realign itself into two fully independent companies. With 42,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries, Agilent Technologies is a global leader in designing and manufacturing test, measurement and monitoring instruments, systems and solutions, and semiconductor and optical components. The company serves markets that include communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare. The businesses comprising Agilent Technologies had net revenue of nearly $8 billion in fiscal year 1998. FMI: http://www.agilent.com.