PALO ALTO and SAN JOSE, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) – Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) and GlobalSight Corp. today announced an alliance to bridge the Internet language barrier by making the Web and digital technologies more accessible to the non-English-speaking world.
While English is the predominant language of the Web, 75 percent of the global Internet population will live outside of the United States by 2005, according to Jupiter Research, making it more difficult for companies to have a global
presence on the Internet. GlobalSight Web globalization software, now combined with HP infrastructure and e-services technologies, provides a solution to help companies extend their global reach by enabling them to customize their Web sites around the world to local issues and languages while maintaining a unified company brand.
“Language barriers can pose a formidable obstacle to Web access,” said Dave Scantling, general manager, HP Service Provider and Mobile Solutions Organization. “Initiatives such as our alliance with GlobalSight will help bridge the language digital divide and spread the benefits of technology to a far broader global population than is currently being reached.”
Under the agreement, GlobalSight will be one of HP”s preferred providers for Web globalization software and services, while HP will be one of GlobalSight”s preferred providers of hardware, software and services. GlobalSight has already ported its flagship product, GlobalSight System3, to the HP-UX operating system and plans to incorporate HP e-services technology.
GlobalSight System3 software addresses the linguistic, technical, organizational and managerial challenges of delivering and maintaining digital information globally. HP and GlobalSight plan to offer their customers e-services solutions that will allow users to access the Web from any device, anywhere in the world, in any language.
“By working with HP, GlobalSight will be able to provide its customers with a comprehensive solution for handling e-services on a global scale,” said Doug Chapin, president and chief executive officer, GlobalSight. “This alliance will benefit our customers as they strive to take their e-services businesses into global markets, while increasing productivity and efficiency with their current infrastructure investments.”
The alliance with GlobalSight complements HP”s World e-Inclusion program, which is intended to bring the benefits of technology to the two-thirds of the world”s population that has so far seen few of them. Working jointly with global and local alliance members, HP is innovating and integrating the necessary technology, products and e-services that address the needs of emerging markets.
About GlobalSight
GlobalSight is the leading provider of infrastructure software and strategy required to develop and maintain global Web sites. The company”s globalization management system (GMS), GlobalSight System3, automates the localization, leveraging, and global management of e-business content for delivering timely, relevant information online to multilingual, multicultural audiences. GlobalSight”s comprehensive solutions help multinational companies increase international revenues, strengthen customer and partner loyalty, and build a more consistent global brand. GlobalSight customers include Hewlett-Packard Company, GE, Palm Inc., Imation and Mercury Interactive. Investors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Deutsche Bank Capital Partners, Whitney & Co., 3i Group and Protege. Visit GlobalSight at www.globalsight.com or e-mail info@globalsight.com.
About HP
Hewlett-Packard Company — a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services — is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to individuals and businesses through simple appliances, useful e-services and solutions for an Internet infrastructure that”s always on.
HP had total revenue from continuing operations of $48.8 billion in its 2000 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
HP-UX Release 10.20 and later and HP-UX Release 11.00 and later (in both 32- and 64-bit configurations) on all HP 9000 computers are Open Group UNIX 95 branded products. UNIX is a registered trademark of the Open Group.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any projections of earnings, revenues, or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products, services, or developments; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; statements of belief and any statement of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above include the ability of HP to retain and motivate key employees; the timely development, production and acceptance of products and services and their feature sets; the challenge of managing asset levels, including inventory; the flow of products into third-party distribution channels; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks that are described from time to time in HP”s Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Oct. 31, 2000, and subsequently filed reports. HP does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
