Complete Line of HP Computing Products Now Available Through ESRI for Geographic Information Systems Customers; ESRI/Ingram Micro Reseller Agreement Provides One-stop Shopping for Broad-based GIS Solutions.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1996-- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced that Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), a worldwide leader in geographic information systems (GIS) application software, will -- per a reseller agreement with Ingram Micro -- resell a comprehensive line of HP computing products to provide complete GIS solutions to its U.S. customers.

Under the agreement, Ingram Micro will supply HP computer systems and peripherals to ESRI, including HP's PA-RISC(1)-based UNIX(R) system workstations and servers, Intel-based personal computers running Microsoft(R) Windows 95 and Windows NT, X stations, plotters and other GIS peripherals. ESRI says that for the first time, it now can sell the broadest range of UNIX system and Intel-based systems and peripherals from a single vendor, satisfying the various needs of its customers.

"HP has long-standing relationships with ESRI and Ingram Micro, and this reseller agreement is a strategic opportunity for HP to broaden its distribution channel into the GIS market," said Jan Kerrick, worldwide GIS program manager for HP. "This important new facet to our joint sales and marketing relationship with ESRI helps strengthen our ability to better reach and serve our GIS customers as their needs evolve."

ESRI's HP GIS customers will be provided with a single point of purchase for all of their GIS hardware and software requirements, thereby eliminating the redundancies typically associated with multivendor purchasing. ESRI will provide its software packages with HP equipment or sell each separately, depending on specific customer needs. ESRI software includes ARC/INFO, a GIS tool for advanced applications; ArcView, a desktop GIS and mapping solution; Spatial Database Engine, a high-performance, object-oriented spatial database that provides rapid access to stored geographic data; and MapObjects, ESRI's OLE Control and a collection of more than 35 programmable OLE Automation objects.

"HP has been a very good business partner of ESRI," said Dean McComber, ESRI hardware vendor relations manager. "The ability to provide the entire HP product line from a single source, such as Ingram Micro, will be an excellent service to provide to our user community."

With this announcement, HP furthers its commitment to the GIS market. A recent report by Dataquest, a San Jose, Calif.-based market-research firm, identified HP as having the fastest UNIX system hardware in four key technical markets, including GIS, for 1995.

"Ingram Micro's strength as the leading distributor of HP product solutions provides ESRI with an impressive arsenal of products to address the complex customer requirements of a GIS solution," said Bob Bennett, director of the Enterprise Computing Sales Division for Ingram Micro. "HP and Ingram Micro's commitment to the reseller channel and technical markets partnered with ESRI's applications and expertise is a winning combination."

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Hardware and software service and support will be provided by HP and ESRI. Customers requiring support for hardware and operating-system software may contact HP at 1-800-633-3600, and customers requiring application software support may contact ESRI directly at 1-800-447-9778.

ESRI was founded in 1969 as a research group devoted to improving methods of handling geographically referenced data. Today, ESRI is the leading developer of GIS software, with more than 100,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international offices and distributors in more than 70 countries, and more than 500 resellers and developers. ESRI's goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the World Wide Web at www.esri.com.

Ingram Micro Inc., headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., is the world's largest wholesale distributor of microcomputer products, with 1995 sales of $8.617 billion. The company's inventory includes 38,000 products from more than 1,000 of the world's leading hardware and software companies. Affiliates in 15 countries sell to 108,000 resellers in 120 countries. Ingram Micro is the leading provider of advanced value-added services including technical areas, field services, configuration and fulfillment.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 108,300 employees and had revenue of $31.5 billion in its 1995 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com. Additional information on HP's technical workstation and server solutions is available on the Internet through the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/go/workstations. -0-

Note to Editors: (1) PA-RISC stands for Precision Architecture-reduced-instruction-set computing.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open(tm) Company Limited.

X/Open is a trademark of X/Open Company Limited in the UK and other countries.

Microsoft is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.

Windows is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.

CONTACTS: Copithorne & Bellows for HP

Holly Zmetrovich, 617/252-0606 Ext. 237

Kathy Madison, 617/252-0606 Ext. 257