HP Deploys ShortCycles E-Service for Sales-Force Communications; Co-Developed ASP Solution Targeted for Use by 15,000 HP Worldwide Sales Personnel and Channel Partners - Company Operations

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, May 29, 2000

Hewlett-Packard Company Monday said that it is deploying an enterprise e-service for its 5,000-member sales and marketing force, and more than 10,000 channel partners. Co-developed over the past four years by HP and ShortCycles, HP's internal sales communications solution, Electronic Sales Partner (ESP), is based on ShortCycles Sales and Marketing Information Exchange.

Using ShortCycles patent-pending Context-Maps technology and task-specific modules for sales, marketing and business partners, the Web-based e-service improves accessibility and usefulness of sales and marketing information. The ShortCycles e-service is available today. HP's ESP deployment is already underway and is expected to be available to all HP sales, presales and marketing personnel by the end of the year.

"The ShortCycles-based ESP solution allows our sales representatives and channel partners to find the exact information they need more quickly and easily," said Steve Baker, HP's worldwide sales communication manager. "We estimate the time savings alone at more than $25 million annually, but the biggest impact ShortCycles delivers is giving our reps more time to spend with customers. That time translates into improved relationships, shortened sales cycles and increased sales."

"HP has a history of innovation. They wanted a better way for sales and marketing to communicate," said Ed Mueller, chief executive officer of ShortCycles, Inc. "The result of four years of cooperative development is a solution that leverages the Internet to deliver the right information at the right time, anywhere in the world. This new offering catapults ShortCycles into a leadership position in this emerging new market."

ShortCycles is a charter member of HP's e-intelligence partner program, which unites HP technology and expertise with real-time business-intelligence solutions. The companies are working together to deliver comprehensive solutions that combine ShortCycles innovative service with HP's leading technologies -- resulting in scalable, powerful, Web-based applications hosted by ShortCycles on UNIX system-based hardware from HP.

ShortCycles, Inc. (www.shortcycles.com) is a business-to-business e-services provider that delivers the first dynamic, web-based sales and marketing information exchange service to ensure sales teams and channel partners have access to the information they need to close business. Utilizing ShortCycles patent-pending Context-Maps technology, the ShortCycles ASP solution organizes, categorizes and retrieves unstructured sales and marketing information such as presentations, customer references, audio/video materials and competitive analysis. Based in San Bruno, Calif., ShortCycles is a venture-backed start-up with investors including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Sigma Partners and R.B. Webber.

Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to individuals and businesses through simple appliances, useful e-services and an Internet infrastructure that's always on.

Excluding Agilent Technologies, HP has 86,000 employees worldwide and had total revenue from continuing operations of $42.4 billion in its 1999 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.