HP Showcases Technology During BDPA Annual Conference.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BDPA Conference

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2002

HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced its sponsorship of the 24th annual Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) national conference, titled "Changing the Culture of IT: From Access to Ownership," being held Aug. 7-11.

BDPA is the premier organization for African-American professionals in the information technology industry. For more than 25 years, BDPA has fulfilled its mission and worked to bridge the digital divide by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA represents more than 3,000 members in more than 40 active chapters located across the United States.

"For nearly 20 years HP has been closely involved with BDPA, sharing the common goal of closing the digital divide and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to fully participate in business success and is valued for their distinct skills, experiences and perspectives," said Dan Vertrees, vice president, HP Enterprise Partners. "This year, we are providing the latest technology for the national High School Computer Competition, an event designed to introduce minority youth to the field of IT and encourage their education and exposure to information technology."

In addition to providing 50 workstations for the High School Computer Competition, HP technology will be showcased in the following areas: 10 workstations for the Cyber Cafe, 30 workstations for the general lab, eight registration kiosks for conference registration and technical support and services.

"HP's participation as a sponsor for our annual conference demonstrates their commitment to helping BDPA achieve its goals. HP is a leader among companies that can harness diverse technology strengths and partners to help bridge the technology divide," said Wayne Hicks, president-elect, BDPA. "We look to HP as our preferred technology supplier because they offer a broad range of innovative solutions."

The BDPA national headquarters is located in Greenbelt, Md. Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly founded the organization in 1975. Contact 800-727-BDPA or http://www.bdpa.org for additional information.

About HP

HP is a leading global provider of products, technologies, solutions and services to consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. HP completed its merger transaction involving Compaq Computer Corp. on May 3, 2002. The company would have had combined revenue on a pro forma basis with the Compaq transaction of approximately $81.1 billion in fiscal 2001 and has operations in more than 160 countries. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.