July 30, 2002
Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd.
Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd.
Microsoft Co., Ltd.
Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.
Hewlett-Packard Japan, HPSD, Microsoft Japan and Hitachi Software Ally in an SI Business Deal of Windows Solutions
- HP bolsters its readiness to build upcoming 64-bit Windows- and .NET-based SI solutions -
Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd. (President: Masao Terasawa, headquartered in Suginami, Tokyo, abbr.: Hewlett-Packard Japan), Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd. (Representative Director: Kazuo Okada, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, abbr.: HPSD), Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (President: Hiroyuki Kanekiyo, headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa pref., abbr.: Hitachi Software), and Microsoft Co., Ltd. (President: Shinichi Ata, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, abbr.: Microsoft Japan) agreed to ally in an SI business deal to build information system infrastructures and build application systems in a Windows environment amidst the growing need to create Windows® solutions-based mission-critical system implementations in the enterprise market. This alliance enables HP (Hewlett-Packard Japan and HPSD) to bolter its Windows-based SI solutions business with support from Microsoft and Hitachi Software.
Alliance Background
Windows-based system solutions are infiltrating various sectors of the enterprise market, including mailing systems, Internet connections, application systems, and backbone systems. Sharply expanding demand is noticeable particularly in such segments as migration from Windows NT Server 4.0 to Windows 2000 Server and from Lotus Notes/Domino to Windows platforms, tighter security during Internet connection, and the implementation of content management to deal with expanding file and content sizes.
Hewlett-Packard Japan expects to merge with Compaq Computer K.K. (President: Hajime Takayanagi, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, abbr.: Compaq) to deliver more servers to the market than before. Customers have urged the company to not only build more robust platforms but also come up with more extensive, more flexible system solutions than ever. Pressure from these customers for higher-availability systems, more complex, faster processing capability, and Web services is expected to mount as the 64-bit Windows Server/64-bit SQL Server™ supporting the 64-bit microprocessor, Intel?Itanium?, jointly developed by HP and Intel Corporation, make their debut and the Microsoft-advocated concept "Microsoft?.NET" is put forward. In these circumstances, the four have decided to combine their individual strengths to jointly develop, deliver and market higher-added-value system solutions with their product, engineering and application know-how built in to address such needs promptly and thus simplify corporate information flow.
Details of the Alliance
The four partners will work in harmony in the successive stages of delivery of SI/solutions to customers. The phase-specific shares of responsibility among the four are illustrated below.
Action details
(1) Development and availability of solutions
Hewlett-Packard Japan takes primary responsibility for marketing, developing and delivering solutions. It will continue to deliver products tailored to customer needs by taking advantage of its know-how in the development of UNIX products accumulated to date, its technical advantage in regard to the Intel Itanium2 processor, the scale merit of the merger with Compaq, and so forth. Hewlett-Packard Japan will have a marketing force in place for this alliance dedicated to developing Windows-based solutions. Through the collaboration of the four partners, a Windows-based solution verification center will be incorporated to verify Windows-based solutions running on an Intel Itanium2 processor for verifying, porting and developing applications.
(2) Promotion
Promotion will be conducted at the initiative of Hewlett-Packard Japan with HPSD, Microsoft, and Hitachi Software providing assistance from time to time, including the joint holding of seminars in and after September.
(3) Order-taking activities
As promotion activities develop into business talks, order-taking activities will be commenced with primary impetus from Hewlett-Packard Japan and HPSD, with positive assistance from Microsoft. In this phase, offers are worked out on the basis of the solutions developed in (1). HPSD will have a task force in place that is dedicated to staging order-taking activities. Hitachi Software will take advantage of the X-Business Solution Center ("XSC") to complement the solutions held by Hewlett-Packard Japan and provide logistics support, such as evaluation support. Further, SEs from Hewlett-Packard Japan, HPSD, and Hitachi Software will hold sessions of technical exchanges periodically.
(4) System implementation
As Hewlett-Packard Japan collects Windows projects through this promotion, HPSD will undertake creation of system solutions in its initiative. Hitachi Software will provide human resources and engineering support to aid in HPSD's SI effort. Hitachi Software maintains a staff of more than 1,500 technicians versed in Microsoft technology to handle projects of any size.
(5) Support of Microsoft technologies and products
Microsoft provides OSs and server software products, plus product-specific application know-how and engineering support from its development force, reference information available around the world, and more to provide powerful support to this alliance. It also develops and promotes joint marketing programs for the four partners to pursue. Microsoft also provides active training in Visual Studio.NET and .NET Framework in the implementation of Web services that promise a rapid rate of popularity in a Microsoft .NET environment, and the associated engineering support.
1. Migration service to the Windows 2000 Server and the upcoming server OS "Windows .NET Server" environment
2. Messaging solution
- Migration from Lotus Notes and other mailing systems to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
3. EAI solutions
- Microsoft BizTalk® Server, EAI Base Adapters for BizTalk Server (manufactured by Hitachi Software)
4. High-availability systems
- Mix of Windows 2000 Advanced Server and SQL Server™ 2000 Enterprise Edition
5. Toughened security
- Security tools: Hibun (manufactured by Hitachi Software) and others, Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server 2000, Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
6. Others
- Sales Force Automation (SFA)
- Enterprise Information Portal (EIP)
Availability of Windows-based solutions in the upcoming environment The four firms also collaborate in the verification and development of Windows-based solutions in the upcoming 64-bit processor environment.
An architecture jointly developed by HP and Intel Corporation, the Intel Itanium2 processor forms a key factor in the successful creation of large system solutions from this alliance. The "hp server rx5670" powered by an Intel Itanium2 processor recorded the word's highest four-way system performance in an SAP R/3 Sales and Distributor 2-tier benchmark test. In the benchmark supporting 470 SD users, a throughput of 141,254 dialog steps/hour and an average response time of 1.82 seconds were achieved.
Note: The demand for system implementations of Intel Itanium2-powered servers is predicted to grow at a rapid tempo. The four partners aim to win the lead in the Intel Itanium2 processor market through their alliance. The Windows-based solution verification center that verifies Windows-based solutions running on an Intel Itanium2 processor will be incorporated through the collaboration of the four firms as mentioned above to verify, port and develop applications. It is slated to come up with SAP R/3 as the first in the series of solutions to follow.
Business goals
Service sales of JPY15 billion projected for the year to come
* Microsoft, Windows, Visual Studio, and BizTalk are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
* The official name of Windows is "Microsoft Windows Operating System."
* Intel in Japanese, Intel, and Itanium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
* Other product and brand names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.
Press Contacts
Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd.
Nakajima, Public Relations Office
TEL: +813-3335-8177
E-mail: satoshi_nakajima@hp.com
Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd.
Sumimura, Public Relations Department
TEL: +813-5456-9896
E-mail: yoshiki_sumimura@sd.jpn.hp.com
Microsoft Co., Ltd.
Okabe, Public Relations Department
TEL: +813-4523-3210
E-mail: mskkpr@microsoft.com
Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.
Shino, President's Office (Public Relations)
TEL: +8145-681-3203
E-mail: ka-shino@msa.hitachi-sk.co.jp
Supplementary Information
Hewlett-Packard Co./Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd.
HP is a leading worldwide supplier of consumer and business-oriented products, technologies, solutions and services. Its extensive line of products and services includes IT infrastructures, personal computing, access devices, global services, and imaging and printing. Operating in more than 160 countries over the world, the new company evolving from the merger worked out $81.7 billion in sales in fiscal 2001. To find out more about HP and its products, visit its Website at http://www.hp.com.
Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd. is a Japanese corporation of HP, with sales of JPY247.6 billion for fiscal 2001. To find out more about Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd., visit its Website at http://www.hp.com/jp/.
Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd.
Founded with joint investment from HP (51%), Marubeni Corporation (34%), and Hitachi Software (15%), Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd. came into operation on April 1, 1999, offering Internet-based solutions built from mixes of software packages available from HP and other key industry vendors. As a member of an Internet business division of HP, the SI company delivers actual solutions to promote HP's Internet business strategy "e-services."
Microsoft Co., Ltd.
Microsoft Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq name: MSFT) was incorporated in 1975 as a Japanese corporation of Microsoft Corporation to lead in consumer- and business-oriented software, services, and Internet technologies in the world's market. Through the availability of its far-reaching line of products and services, it continues to offer quality software to work on any platform anytime and anywhere in an effort to broaden the horizons of human possibility.
Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.
Since being inaugurated in 1970 as the first software firm in the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. has been following an active policy of developing basic software for mainframes and large application systems for governmental agencies and the banking, insurance and securities industries, plus multivendor, multiplatform, open system-ready applications, Internet solutions, life sciences, and embedded products. It opened Japan's first BackOffice Solution Center in 1997. In 2001, it opened the X-Business Solution Center to be run jointly with Microsoft for providing Windows-based solutions. In 1999, it incorporated Hewlett-Packard Solutions Delivery, Ltd. with HP and Marubeni Corporation and has since been promoting business jointly.
