Biggest-Ever HP Printing/Imaging Rollout Poised to Build New and Expanding Markets; 20 Plus Products Print, Copy, Mopy, Capture and Send.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1998-- Hewlett-Packard Company today capped its biggest printing and imaging product rollout -- in all, more than 20 bold customer alternatives in printing, copying, mopying, capturing and sending -- with three of the most advanced color printers for the office, the fastest monochrome LaserJet printer yet and the next-generation mopier.

The introductions are part of the company's aggressive strategy to expand business into existing and emerging new markets by helping customers seamlessly exchange information between paper-based and digital forms. The full rollout includes the world's first digital sender, a new handheld information appliance for mobile professionals and a new personal laser printer with breakthrough expansion capabilities.

"I envision a future in which people transfer information easily between paper and electronic form -- and at low cost. People will be able to grab words and images off a page and send information quickly and effortlessly around the world," said Lewis E. Platt, HP chairman, president and chief executive officer. "And that future isn't years off, it's starting today."

Leading New Markets

HP has enjoyed unparalleled customer loyalty and market-share leadership in the office printer arena. This however, represents only 3 percent of the entire 12.1 trillion pages that make up the total U.S. printed page marketl Series Color Printer -- each offer capabilities and technologies that enable businesses to print a wide variety of color documents faster, easier and more cost-effectively than ever before. As a result, color documents -- brochures, sales materials and catalogs -- that previously were outsourced, now can be printed in-house.

Further Inroads into the Copier Market

HP continues its aggressive attack on the copier market with the HP Mopier 320 network copier, the first HP mopier to allow walk-up copying, and the HP LaserJet 8100 printer, the fastest, most versatile HP LaserJet printer ever. Both models are built on the proven reliability of the company's LaserJet printer brand.

"Our approach to network mopiers is distinctly different from the approach used by traditional copier vendors entering the world of network printing," said Carolyn M. Ticknor, HP vice president and general manager of the LaserJet Solutions Group. "Our design begins on the foundation of a dependable, networkable printer and then adds copying as a value-added feature. Copier companies start with an inherently less reliable product, the copier and then attempt to add network connectivity and printing. It's not quite that simple, and the end result is drastically different."

HP introduced the first mopier, two years ago, as a low-cost and reliable alternative to conventional photocopiers. In the past, office workers printed a document on a laser printer and walked to a copier to make duplicates. Mopiers eliminate the trip to the copier by allowing workers to easily and conveniently create "mopies" from their desks -- each one an original instead of a copy. The new HP Mopier 320 network copier makes duplicating documents even easier by adding collating, stapling and stacking features along with walk-up copying capability.

At 32 pages per minute, the LaserJet 8100 printer is HP's fastest LaserJet printer ever. The new printer offers a variety of advanced features that allow users to complete large print jobs quickly and easily. Because the HP LaserJet 8100 printer is mopy-enabled, it can be used as a superior alternative to the office copier.

Digital Sending as an Alternative to Faxing

The industry's first digital sender is designed to help bridge the gap between paper-based and digital information, and offers a cost-effective, high-quality alternative to faxing. With the HP 9100C digital sender, users can digitally send paper documents to any Internet e-mail address, fax number, JetSend-enabled device, network printer or personal computer. The digital sender eliminates many of the disadvantages often associated with faxing -- slow, unreliable transmission, costly telephone charges and inferior image quality -- and, because it transmits both black-and-white and color documents, it is an effective alternative to the fax machine.

The Emerging Information Appliance Market

The new HP CapShare 910 information appliance, introduced in September, is a revolutionary device that lets users capture, store and share information quickly and easily. Its lightweight, compact design makes it ideal for mobile professionals. With a simple sweep over the desired text or documents, the CapShare 910 captures the information, stores it until needed and then transfers the information to a PC or JetSend-enabled printer. The CapShare 910 will allow HP to expand the scanner market to include customers looking for an advanced, mobile solution.

Redefining the Desktop Printer Market

HP is redefining the desktop with its next-generation personal laser devices. The new LaserJet 1100 printer and LaserJet 1100A printer/copier/scanner bridge the gap between today's printers and the multifunction products of the future. Users can add copying and scanning functionality as their business needs change. Users can now produce convenience copies or convert hardcopy information into digital format for communication via e-mail or PC fax -- all from their desktops.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communication products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 127,200 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.