HP Expands Technology Portfolio for Small Businesses

At "The Art of Small Business" event, HP also announced new HP Total Care services, a Small Business Connection web portal and a "Boost Your Business" editorial contest with Forbes.com - all designed specifically for small businesses.

HP was joined by several small business owners at the event, where the company additionally previewed small business owner and fashion designer Vera Wang's upcoming "Personal Again" ad campaign spot and showed off the HP Chopper designed and built by another featured customer, the Orange County Choppers.

"HP empowers small businesses by making technology simple and accessible, freeing time for business owners to focus on the business itself," said Satjiv Chahil, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. "HP is the only company capable of providing small businesses what they need every step of the way, from selecting reliable products to offering tailored advice and award-winning service and support."

According to a fourth quarter 2006 report by the market research firm IDC, HP is the overall worldwide leader in unit shipments in the PC, server and hard copy peripherals markets for small and medium-size businesses.

Products specially tailored to meet critical small business needs

HP released several new products that address four key customer needs: mobility and networking, business protection and security, do-it-yourself marketing and retail point-of-sale.

Mobility and networking:

The new HP Compaq 6515b and 6715b Notebook PCs come integrated with the latest mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies. They also provide a choice in the latest AMD processors, including AMD Turionâ„¢ 64 X2 dual-core mobile technology.

Backed by a lifetime warranty, the ProCurve Networking by HP 1400 Series and 1700 Series network switches are easy to install and maintain, and they provide high-performance and highly reliable connectivity that is ideal for building trusted networks for small and growing businesses.

Security and data protection:

- The HP StorageWorks Media Vault Pro enables businesses to better meet their growing needs through expandable network storage and enhanced protection services.

- The HP ProLiant ML115 server, an entry-level server at a desktop PC price, can keep pace with the rapidly growing IT demands of small and medium-size businesses.

The HP Compaq dx2300 Business Desktop PC combines value and advanced features such as Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors, with available services for assured data integrity in the event of a disaster, such as a 60-day free trial of the new HP Smart Data Protection Service on select models.

Retail point-of-sale system:

- The HP rp5700 Point of Sale system with HP-branded peripherals offers retailers a flexible, industry-standard solution with advanced technology, five-year lifecycles and available Microsoft Dynamics - Point of Sale 2.0 software to help automate business for more efficient operations - HP.