HP Enhancing Vista Experience with New Products

HP today announced Microsoft Windows Vista will be available across its consumer and business product portfolios beginning with the new operating system’s launch Jan. 30. To help ensure customers have the best experience available, HP also has enhanced its award-winning HP Total Care program with Vista-specific services and built-in support tools. The new products and services take advantage of Windows Vista to provide customers new and exciting ways to work, play and enjoy life. HP has worked closely with Microsoft to help ensure that all HP consumer PCs and more than 450 printing and imaging products are Vista-ready. In addition, a broad portfolio of HP products that are Vista Premium-ready is available for both consumers and business customers. “HP has collaborated closely with Microsoft for more than five years to deliver the industry’s broadest and most complete Windows Vista portfolio,” said Shane Robison, executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer, HP. “We’ve devoted more than 150,000 hours of hardware and software testing and development to help ensure our customers are provided the easiest, safest and most satisfying technology experience yet.” HP engineers also have worked intensely to help business customers get the most from the built-in security and reliability advancements of Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft® Office system to ensure that the new offerings smoothly and simply support and integrate into existing business environments with all HP IT infrastructure products. “HP and Microsoft share a common vision to deliver PC experiences for our customers that are easier, safer, more entertaining and better connected than ever before,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer, Microsoft. “As a key Windows Vista development partner, HP has worked extensively with Microsoft to deliver a broad portfolio of innovative consumer and enterprise products and services that take full advantage of the breakthrough capabilities of Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system.” HP further improves the Vista experience for consumers All HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario consumer desktops and notebooks are now available with Windows Vista. This includes the all-in-one HP TouchSmart PC and the convertible HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment Notebook recently introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (www.hp.com/go/CES2007). In addition, select HP desktop and notebook PCs have the option of Vista Home Premium, as well as an optional HP Pocket Media Drive to make the transition to a Vista-ready PC simpler. As part of HP’s comprehensive customer support offerings, Windows Vista-specific support is now available in North America through HP Total Care, the 24x7 service and support program that backs all HP PCs – in and out of warranty. Additionally, consumers using or upgrading to Windows Vista can receive one-on-one help from experienced, home-technology specialists via the SmartFriend by HP service. This service provides personalized assistance to help save time and frustration when transferring files, photos, system preferences and settings between PCs. For customers wanting extra help with Windows Vista, SmartFriend by HP tech specialists can even connect to their PCs over the Internet. The service is available in either 45-minute sessions for $69.99 or 75-minute sessions for $99.99. HP Total Care Advisor comes installed on new Windows Vista-based HP consumer desktop or notebook PCs. Through a single, interactive “cockpit,” it allows customers to easily find and navigate through key product information, such as serial numbers and warranty details, help and support information, and the status of storage space, connected peripherals and other key system components – all clearly delineated with large icons and simple explanations. To help ensure a PC is performing at its best, HP Total Care Advisor also features HP Update, a system health check that runs automatically to check battery performance, detect adware, malware or other important information, and download relevant software and driver updates along with troubleshooting tips. Beyond PC support, all current and future HP imaging and printing products will support Windows Vista, as do approximately 97 percent of HP’s imaging and printing products shipped over the past five years. Collectively, they will be supported via downloadable drivers on HP’s website in addition to the 280 HP print and scan drivers offered in the Windows Vista operating system. HP eases migration and deployment for business In order for business customers of all sizes to more effectively collaborate and improve productivity, HP supports and customizes Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 across its enterprise hardware, software and services offerings. This includes HP’s business computing portfolio, printing and imaging solutions for business, HP Services offerings, HP ProLiant and BladeSystem servers and HP StorageWorks and HP Software products. HP is providing business customers the advanced security, reliability and improved ease of use delivered by Windows Vista by offering nearly all HP Compaq business notebook, desktop and workstation PCs in Windows Vista Premium Ready configurations. In fact, HP was the industry’s first computer manufacturer to receive a Windows Vista Premium logo (for the HP xw9400 Workstation) and also will have Windows Vista shipping on all four HP personal workstation platforms in all available languages in early February. HP also has received the Vista Premium certification for its HP LP3065 and HP LP1965 Flat Panel Monitors. All HP commercial LCD monitors are expected to be Vista-compliant by April 1. Many of the core printing architectures native to Microsoft operating systems were developed through a strong collaboration between HP and Microsoft. For instance, HP provided expertise in the development of Microsoft’s Unidrive printing architecture and provided input on the new XPS document format. HP also worked closely with the 2007 Microsoft Office engineering team to address the common challenges faced when using color in business documents. Improvements to 2007 Office include more color-rich applications that make it quick and easy to add color to business documents as well as improvements to the printing systems to increase customer satisfaction with the color output. Recognized by Microsoft as Worldwide Prime Integrator for its products and technologies, HP Services offers planning, design, implementation and support for Windows Vista and other new Microsoft technologies and has the ability to integrate them into heterogeneous IT environments. In particular, HP Services helps customers optimize existing Windows infrastructures to take advantage of the new capabilities of the Windows 64-bit platform and to exploit new applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 - HP.