X

HP, MS to put small business on Net

Entering the second phase of its small-business push, Hewlett-Packard will next month launch a joint marketing campaign with Microsoft for plug-and-play Internet servers.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
See full bio
Brooke Crothers
Entering the second phase of its small-business push, Hewlett-Packard will next month launch a joint marketing campaign with Microsoft for plug-and-play Internet servers.

"It's a dedicated Internet turnkey solution. All the software and hardware you need will be there," said Richard Archuletta, research and development manager at HP's network server division.

The server will be the newest member of HP's NetServer family and will use both Pentium and Pentium Pro processors, Archuletta said. Microsoft's contribution will include preloaded versions of Windows NT Server, its Internet Information Server, and its Exchange messaging server. HP will also throw in its networking equipment, including its 10/100VG local area network (LAN) adapters.

The software will also be bundled with a special HP NetServer Navigator and Microsoft Internet JumpStart package for other HP NetServer users.

HP is considering a similar bundling relationship with Netscape for its Internet server software, but the companies haven't settled on any specifics, according to HP officials.

The first phase of HP's small-business strategy was announced last month when the company promised to deliver starting in April desktop and tower systems for small businesses under the combined Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft Small Business Center logo. The Microsoft-HP alliance will also create an HP-Microsoft channel service and support programs for the Microsoft BackOffice family of integrated server software, HP said.