HP sets new standards in enterprise computing with high-performance six-way HP NetServer systems at four-way prices

Hewlett-Packard Company has unveiled two new flagship products for the high-growth, four-way PC server market, now 4 really equals 6 the HP NetServer LH 6000 and HP NetServer LT 6000r systems offering enterprise, service provider and dot com customers the added scalability and performance of a six-way PC server for the price of a conventional four-way system. These servers set new standards by accommodating customer growth needs, satisfying uptime requirements and delivering a more than 30 percent performance boost over conventional four-way servers.

The HP NetServer LH 6000 system claimed the No. 1 spot on the TPC-C Top Ten price/performance list at $13.95/tmpC at an amazing 33,136 tpmC, more than 27 percent better than a four-way configured competitor. Additional third-party benchmark testing revealed that the HP NetServer LH 6000 system equipped with six processors outperformed a similarly configured four-way competitor by more than 40 percent.

The HP NetServer LH 6000 system provides the most comprehensive feature set available in its class. With expansion for up to six Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Xeon processors, 8GB of PC 133MHz SDRAM, eight 64-bit I/O slots, and up to 12 internal Ultra2 SCSI drives, the HP NetServer LH 6000 system provides significant investment protection for professionals planning for growth. The blazing I/O performance and embedded, ultra-high-performance HP NetRAID controller -- offered at no extra cost -- deliver the availability and performance needed for I/O- and storage-intensive applications, including e-commerce, serving Web sites, ERP and messaging.

The HP NetServer LT 6000r system has a similarly impressive feature set, but is packaged in a slim 4U RACK optimised form-factor, providing the power of up to 60 processors in a standard 40U rack.

"In the rapidly evolving and competitive world of e-business, customers are demanding ncreased performance and guaranteed uptime from their servers at a satisfactory price point", says Andrew Fletcher, Product Manager of HP`s NetServer Business. "HP`s new NetServers address these needs, offering the best of both worlds. Our new flagship products deliver up to 30% greater performance with industry standard technology at no additional cost, allowing customers to expand their business without inflating their IT budget."

The Total Solution

HP delivers the following complete solutions to ease the deployment of Internet-enabled applications:

• solution stack -- HP is working with leading vendors to deliver integrated solutions that meet the unique needs of Internet-based companies;

• service and support -- HP provides a complete suite of offerings designed to keep e-businesses running 24 hours a day, seven days a week;

• product rebate -- When purchasing a fully configured HP NetServer LH 6000 or LT 6000r system, HP will rebate the cost of the two additional CPUs to registered customers; and

Storage Area Networks

HP has broadened its portfolio of SAN solutions with the HP SureStore E Disk Array FC60 and enhancements to HP SureStore Tape Libraries. The FC60, announced last August, is a midrange disk array that scales up to 60 hard-disk drives and 4.4 terabytes of raw storage capacity. Beginning in May, the FC60 will be able to support up to eight HP NetServer systems in SAN configurations.

South African Pricing and Availability

The estimated European street price of the HP NetServer LH 6000 system begins at R55000, while the estimated European street price of the HP NetServer LT 6000r system beings at R61500. Both systems will be available in March 2000.