HP DEBUTS REMOTELY MANAGEABLE THREE-PORT PRINT SERVER FOR HP AND NON-HP
PRINTERS

Low Cost and Ease of Use Set New Price/Performance Standard

Palo Alto, California. April 10, 1995 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today
debuted a remotely manageable three-port external print server for HP and
non-HP printers that sets new standards for ease of use and
price/performance. The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server - HP's first
three-port print server - is designed to provide end users and network
administrators with the easiest, most cost-effective way to attach and
maintain HP and non-HP printers on a network. This product extends HP's
leadership in the network-printing-connections market by extending its
reach into external print servers. With more than 1.5 million JetDirect
print servers sold, HP is the leading provider of network printing
connections.

Features include the following:

 - fast and easy software utilities for installing and remotely
   managing up to three printers on a network;
 - easy printer selection and remote status feedback;
 - ability to operate within any mix of 13+ network operating
   systems (NOSs) and four network protocols;
 - EPROM technology for easy FLASH image upgrades;
 - low cost per port;
 - print file-transfer rates of up to 230 KB/s; and
 - industry-leading three-year warranty.

Unsurpassed Ease of Use

"As more small businesses migrate to a networking platform,
network-administrative tasks often fall to those with little computer
experience," said Ken Hunt, product marketing manager for HP's Roseville
(Calif.) Networks Division. "The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server makes
installing and managing network printers a simple task for the novice as
well as for the more seasoned network administrator. It eliminates network
printing hassles by providing the tools that make setting up, monitoring
and managing network printers simple."

An estimated 20 percent to 30 percent of a network administrator's time is
spent on printer issues, according to BIS Strategic Decisions, a
market-research firm.

Easy to Install

True multiprotocol support allows the JetDirect EX Plus3 print server to
function in virtually any major networking environment. Other print
servers, however, may need Novell NetWare or other operating systems to
function.

The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server is available in two versions,
Ethernet and Token Ring, and is fully compatible with virtually every
major network operating system (over 13 different NOSs in all), including
Novell NetWare, IBM OS/2 Warp, IBM OS/2 LAN Server, LAN Manager, Windows
NT, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, AppleTalk, HP-UX, Sun-OS, Solaris,
IBM AIX, SCO UNIX and lpd for UNIX. Software support for the HP-UX
(Versions 9.x and 10), Sun-OS (Version 4.1.3) and Solaris (Versions 2.2,
2.3, 2.4) operating environments is available free from the Internet at
FTP-BOI.external.hp.com or can be purchased for $199 (U.S.) per site
license through HP-authorized resellers.

Easy to Manage

The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server comes with the latest version of
HP's JetAdmin and JetPrint software. With JetAdmin, printer-related tasks
that used to take hours -- such as loading and distributing printer
drivers or configuring new printers -- can be done in minutes. JetAdmin
also allows network managers to monitor the status of individual printers
on the network, providing troubleshooting and diagnostic information from
one remote location. SNMP support built into JetDirect units makes
printers easy to monitor and manage through any SNMP console, such as HP
OpenView, IBM NetView and others. Two status LED indicators and a
test-print button help simplify troubleshooting procedures.

HP JetPrint software gives Novell NetWare end users the ability to select
the network printer they want to use quickly and easily. Information
regarding printer status can be checked from the user's desktop. JetPrint
also tracks individual print jobs and lets users know where they stand in
the print queue and when their job is completed.

As part of its goal to make network printing as easy as personal printing,
HP has worked closely with Microsoft, IBM, Novell and others to
incorporate HP JetAdmin software functionality directly into the network
operating systems. An upcoming version of IBM LAN Server 4.0 (expected to
be released the first part of 1995) will provide built-in
printer-management features that combine all of the functionality of HP's
current JetAdmin software, as well as new functionality for even greater
ease of use. Similar built-in features are expected to be offered with
Windows 95.

Easy Protocol Switching and Upgrades

The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server also offers automatic protocol
switching between ports so printing jobs are executed seamlessly.
Automatic protocol switching provides the ability to send any type of
print file - regardless of its system origin - to any of the three ports
on the print server. This makes installation simple since users don't need
to configure the print server for a specific protocol.

Upgrades to the HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server are made easy via a
FLASH EPROM incorporated into the unit. Users can download FLASH images
into the server's EPROM. If multiple print servers are being used, a
broadcast download can achieve the upgrade in one operation.

Industry-leading Price/Performance

Like other HP JetDirect print servers, the JetDirect EX Plus3 print server
increases print speed and network performance by reducing the network
server load and by reducing printing bottlenecks. When connected to an HP
printer equipped with a high-speed (IEEE 1284) parallel port, the print
server delivers print data through its own HP Bi-Tronics port at up to 230
KB/s (sustained data-transfer rate).

U.S. Prices and Availability

The HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server is $529 for the Ethernet version
with 10Base-T and BNC connectors and $729 for the Token Ring version with
Db9 and UTP connectors, making the JetDirect EX Plus3 print server one of
the lowest cost-per-port print servers available. The cost of adding
printers to a network is further reduced because only one operating-system
user license is required for each print server, cabling requirements are
minimal, and fewer network hub ports are used for printing.

Both versions of the HP JetDirect EX Plus3 print server are expected to be
available May 1 from HP-authorized resellers and come with a limited
three-year warranty.

HP JetDirect print servers are used to connect HP printers and other
printers directly to networks for superior network-printer reliability,
performance and location flexibility. Since 1991, HP has sold more than
1.5 million HP JetDirect print servers, making it the world's leading
supplier of network print servers.

NOTE: Information in this release applies specifically to products
available in the United States. Product availability and specifications
may vary in non-U.S. markets.

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