press release

HP, Oracle and Red Hat Combine Engineering Expertise to Further Develop Linux Solutions for the Enterprise

HP Collaboration Delivers a Proven, Affordable Enterprise Database Solution

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 5, 2002

HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced that it has combined engineering resources with Oracle, the world's largest enterprise software company, and Red Hat, the world's premier open source and Linux provider, to certify and deliver Red Hat Linux Advanced Server on an 8-Node Oracle9i Real Application Clusters environment running on ProLiant DL580 servers from the new HP.

Building on the long-standing engineering relationships among HP, Oracle and Red Hat, the partners are able to offer customers of the Oracle9i Database a proven deployment platform for Linux. HP was the first vendor to deliver a Real Application Clusters certified configuration on Linux with the launch last year of Oracle9i Real Application Clusters on ProLiant DL580 servers. HP and Oracle have worked closely together in the areas of scalability and performance enhancements, and this expertise has been leveraged in the work that Oracle has done with Red Hat on Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.

"In working closely with HP, Oracle is delivering a proven combination of Oracle9i Database products, including Oracle9i Real Application Clusters, with the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server operating system," said Chuck Rozwat, executive vice president, Database Servers, Oracle. "Together we have built a flexible and fault tolerant infrastructure that delivers the high levels of enterprise capabilities that our customers have been asking for, all at an affordable price."

"The ProLiant DL580 further reinforces the distinction that the ProLiant server line has earned as the platform of choice for deployment of industry-standard operating systems and applications," said Mark de Visser, vice president of marketing, Red Hat. "Red Hat and HP have worked closely together to develop and test all the features of the Red Hat Advance Server. This version was fully tested with Oracle9i RAC on a ProLiant 8-Node cluster."

According to Q1 2002 numbers from IDC, ProLiant servers continue to lead the Standard Intel Architecture Server market in Linux server unit shipments with 25.9 percent market share.⁽¹⁾ The Q1 results mark the 17th straight quarter in which ProLiant servers have led the industry in worldwide Linux server unit shipments.

"As the industry moves increasingly toward the adoption of standards-based computing, customers will expect the highest levels of enterprise-class performance, availability and scalability," said Gary Campbell, vice president of strategic architecture, HP Office of the CTO. "Together, HP, Oracle and Red Hat are delivering rock-solid solutions along with the economic benefits of industry standards, making it easier and more cost effective for customers to adopt Linux into their IT infrastructures."

More information on HP's Linux initiatives is available at www.hp.com/linux or +1 888 HP LINUX.

About HP

HP is a leading global provider of products, technologies, solutions and services to consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. HP merged with Compaq Computer Corp. on May 3, 2002. The merged company had combined revenue of approximately $81.7 billion in fiscal 2001 and operations in more than 160 countries. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

⁽¹⁾ IDC, Quarterly Server Tracker, published May 31, 2002.

Oracle is a registered trademark, and Oracle9i is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.

RED HAT is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that the market for the sale of certain products and services may not develop as expected; that development of these products and services may not proceed as planned; and other risks that are described from time to time in HP's Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to HP's annual report on Form 10-K, as amended on January 30, 2002, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2001, HP's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31, 2002 (as filed with the SEC on March 12, 2002) and subsequently filed reports. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, HP's results could differ materially from HP's expectations in these statements. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.