Customers Switch to HP Workstations for Improved Performance, Value

HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced customers worldwide are adopting HP Workstations for their unprecedented performance, value and serviceability.

In addition, industry research firm IDC reported that HP led the desktop workstation category⁽¹⁾ in market share in the third quarter of 2009. HP’s share showed significant growth during past quarters, culminating with a 44.1 percent share worldwide, according to the IDC Worldwide Workstation Tracker, November 2009.

"In a difficult economy, we’ve seen customers around the globe investing in HP Z Workstations because of the surprisingly short period of time the workstations pay for themselves with performance and productivity gains,” said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Workstations, HP.

"As our customers move to building information modeling and digital prototyping, many are choosing powerful HP Workstations so they can fully benefit from our advanced 3-D visualization, simulation and analysis tools,” said Jeff Kowalski, chief technology officer, Autodesk. "HP Workstations also play a critical role in Autodesk’s development process, and we congratulate our partner on achieving this market share milestone.”

HP introduced its award-winning HP Z Workstation series earlier this year. Customers moving to the Z series can take advantage of HP’s continued innovation in areas such as design, software and independent software vendor (ISV) certifications for professional applications.

"Adobe customers require high performance from their workstations to power their creative visions using the latest advances in video, design and web development,” said Simon Hayhurst, senior director, Product Management, Adobe. "HP is a valued partner who has optimized its workstations for Adobe software, delivering the kind of performance our customers demand.”

HP further differentiated its workstations from the competition in September with the unveiling of the HP SkyRoom videoconference and collaboration tool for enterprise customers, now available on all HP Z workstations at no extra cost. HP SkyRoom also can be downloaded for use on any PC that meets minimum requirements for $149.⁽²⁾

Customers switch to HP Workstations for improved performance and productivity

New York-based Perceptive Pixel, designer of advanced multitouch solutions for broadcast, government, medical imaging, oil/gas and design markets, moved to HP Workstations. It developed CNN’s Magic Wall – of election night fame – and won the 2009 National Design Award from the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum. The company’s HP-powered solutions have been seen on TV networks worldwide in coverage of U.S. and international elections, the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, sports, weather, as well as hit TV shows including "SNL” and "NCIS:LA.”

"We’re a true switchover story. If you want to do the right thing in the broadcast industry, you use HP Workstations,” said Jeff Han, founder and chief scientist, Perceptive Pixel. "The most robust and technologically capable systems suitable for high-performance broadcast applications can only be put together on an HP. We saw it right in the field with our newfound customers – they were already using HP for those same exact reasons.”

Bologna, Italy-based Ducati chose HP Workstations to power the design and analysis behind its racing-inspired motorcycles, which are known for a unique combination of engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence.

"Thanks to HP Workstations, we only work on CAD design applications and have abandoned physical models,” said Roberto Cane, electronic system manager, Ducati Corse. "We used to prepare real dimension profiles of the motorcycle and its components, with two or three models for each part to check and compare all possible alternatives. Digitalizing this process means great savings in terms of time and money, and we also benefit from a lower error margin.”

Based in Santiago, Chile, Cubo Negro produces animated content for TV, web and mobile phones in Latin America. "When we switched to HP Workstations, suddenly our studio began a revolution in terms of software,” said Erwin Gomez, founder, Cubo Negro. "We were no longer limited by our hardware in the creation of images – now we could use the best software certified on HP, and we were only limited by our own imagination. We now understand why the best animators in the world use HP Workstations.”

Peter Basso Associates based in Troy, Mich., is a consulting engineering firm specializing in the design of technically challenging, sustainable and high-performance mechanical/electrical systems.

"When we switched to HP, we were amazed at all that came with it. ISV testing, software certification and technical support tuning our hardware to optimize AutoCAD and Revit performance were unexpected and very welcome extras,” said Bill Case, IT chief, Peter Basso Associates. "Overall, HP’s help is instrumental in our ability to plan ahead, fully leverage our design staff and take on more advanced software. Today our firm and our designs are more sophisticated because of it.”

The HP Z800, HP Z600 and HP Z400 Workstations are the culmination of more than 20 HP design innovations – including a self-checking power supply – and take advantage of the Intel® Xeon® processor family.⁽³⁾

More information about HP Workstations is available at www.hp.com/go/workstations.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

Note to editors: More news from HP, including links to RSS feeds, is available at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/.

⁽¹⁾ Which includes workstation desktops, blades and racks.

⁽²⁾ Estimated street price. Actual price may vary.

⁽³⁾ Dual- and quad-core technologies are designed to improve performance of multithreaded software products and hardware-aware multitasking operating systems and may require appropriate operating system software for full benefits. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of these technologies.

Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corp. in the United States and other countries.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.