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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PCSS who wrote (96566)	3/27/2002 9:42:17 AM
From: Night Writer	Respond to of 97611

Sharp HealthCare Chooses Compaq Services, Equipment for Systemwide Upgrades 2-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Program Enables New Capabilities, Process Improvements, and Lower Costs HOUSTON and SAN DIEGO, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sharp HealthCare -- one of the "100 Most Wired" U.S. healthcare systems by Hospitals and Health Networks magazine for the third consecutive year in 2001 and the top ranked health system in California for the fourth consecutive year according to Modern Healthcare magazine -- chose services and products from Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) to expand and update Sharp HealthCare's information technology (IT) infrastructure and user access devices. Projects include adding server capacity for Sharp HealthCare's clinical information system, conversion of messaging and collaboration systems to Exchange 2000, data storage system enhancements (including both StorageWorks and SAN systems), desktop computers, and wireless communications supporting mobile applications for physicians and other patient care professionals. "Sharp is San Diego's healthcare leader. Our fundamental goal is to exceed patient expectations and make the overall healthcare experience for patients, physicians, nurses and support staff nothing less than exceptional. And, we are only successful if this experience is provided in a convenient, cost-effective and accessible manner," said Sharp HealthCare senior vice president and CIO William A. Spooner. "Compaq is helping us make significant improvements to our data infrastructure -- and improved access to our systems -- which will pay off for our patients in smoother processes, improved efficiency, and a better ability to control our costs. What has truly impressed us is our Compaq team's dedication to finding and proving quality, effective technical solutions quickly and delivering on their promises." Sharp HealthCare is an integrated healthcare delivery system operating four acute care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, three medical groups, nursing facilities and a variety of other community health education programs and related services throughout the San Diego region of Southern California. "Compaq is grateful to have as highly recognized a customer as Sharp HealthCare bring our relationship to even higher levels with this kind of end- to-end, enterprise partnership," said Jim Milton, Compaq senior vice president and North America general manager. "Sharp HealthCare inspires us to do our best work, whether finding the best solution for their challenges or turning around a proof of concept unit -- loaded with Sharp's software image, tagged, and custom labeled -- within a single day," added Milton. Compaq Himalaya servers running NonStop SQL will be the foundation for Sharp's electronic medical record. Sharp is working with IDX Systems Corporation to implement its LastWord clinical repository and physician order entry system on the Himalaya platform. Also, Compaq AlphaServer systems are enhancing Sharp's core IT systems, running with IDXtend(R), an integrated, enterprise-wide, web-based business performance solution. This effort also includes installation of StorageWorks consolidated disk systems and Storage Area Network (SAN) technology. Compaq also provides services, a network of industry standard Compaq ProLiant servers, and StorageWorks equipment to migrate Sharp HealthCare's messaging system to Exchange 2000. Capping several major initiatives, Sharp HealthCare opted for Compaq standards on desktop computers and monitors throughout their facilities. Each of these platforms is configured, custom labeled, and asset tagged prior to delivery for tracking in the healthcare provider's inventory management system. This enables fast, low cost wireless-based inventory management the moment Compaq systems arrive at Sharp HealthCare facilities. All of Sharp HealthCare's Intel-based computers and servers are configured, tagged, and delivered from the Compaq Direct facility in Ontario, CA. In addition to implementation of Compaq Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions, Sharp HealthCare also relies on Compaq Global Services for support of all servers -- Himalaya, AlphaServer, and ProLiant industry standard servers -- as well as StorageWorks and other IT equipment in the healthcare provider's facilities. The total value of projects described above is estimated at more than $10 million over two years. Compaq Background

To: PCSS who wrote (96566)	3/27/2002 12:42:35 PM
From: Elwood P. Dowd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

H-P may delay Compaq merger start By Mike Tarsala, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 11:45 AM ET March 27, 2002 PALO ALTO, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Hewlett-Packard may push back the planned launch of the merged H-P/Compaq beyond the first week of April, in part because the company needs more time to switch operations to rank-and-file employees, executives said in a filing. The companies face several obstacles before they can begin joint operations. The first is the H-P shareholder vote tally, which still must be certified, said H-P's Webb McKinney and Compaq's Jeff Clarke, who head the merger's integration, in a letter to employees. They reiterated that management believes it has enough votes to win merger approval, and that the process is likely to take several more weeks. Dissident board member Walter Hewlett, who led a proxy contest against the merger, still holds that the shareholder vote tally is too close to call. Even if the company gets shareholders' OK, as expected, H-P and Compaq might not begin operations immediately after they file all their legal merger documents, according to the letter. "We will not necessarily launch the new company on the legal closing date," McKinney and Clarke wrote in the filing. "The new management team needs a few days to transition their operating plans from the 'clean teams' to their respective staff and line managers." The filing didn't offer an expected start date for the joint company. H-P executives had planned to complete the merger in the first week of April. The merger will still happen in the first half of 2002, said an H-P spokesman, which is the target spelled out in legal filings. More than 1,200 H-P and Compaq managers are part of "clean teams" that organize integration planning. The number of clean-team employees is expected to increase as the merged company moves closer to its official launch, the filing said. McKinney and Clarke cautioned employees that not all organizational decisions will be made by the official launch day. The top priority is to minimize customer disruption. Details surrounding an expected 15,000 job cuts will be a second priority. "Our intent is to announce decisions around job selection and reduction as soon as we can," McKinney and Clarke said in the filing. Until the combination is completed, H-P and Compaq are legally required to function as competitors, the filing said. H-P and Compaq have instructed employees who are not on clean teams not to mingle with employees in other parts of the company. H-P also has established a "launch team" focused on communicating important merger events, the filing said. Expected communications include presentations to analysts, detailed internal information about market strategies and organization, and "playbooks" with lists of products, services and contacts for customers. Shares of H-P (HWP: news, chart, profile) lost 31 cents to $17.77 in midsession trading Wednesday. Shares of Compaq (CPQ: news, chart, profile) lost 22 cents to $10.63. Mike Tarsala is a San Francisco-based reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com.