HP Earns Industry Recognition for Excellence
in Commercial PC Tech Support and Services

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 5, 2009 – HP today announced it has received certification from the Service and Support Professionals Association (SSPA) for providing superior technical support and services to business notebook and desktop PC customers in the Americas region. 
HP is currently the only PC manufacturer with the certification.

HP earned the Excellence in Service Operations certification for 2009 following a comprehensive evaluation of its phone, field service and web service operations for business PC customers. Auditors from the SSPA, together with J.D. Power and Associates, also conducted rigorous reviews of the policies and procedures used in managing HP’s support organization.

Audits of HP’s support operations evaluated a wide range of industry best practices, including executive commitment, talent management, support tools and technology, and operation metrics compared to industry best practices.

“Support is absolutely a key attribute in the decision-making process for our commercial customers,” said Antonio Lopez, vice president, Customer Experience and Services, Personal Systems Group, HP. “As customer expectations continue to rise, HP’s process execution has to be better than ever. Excellence in Service Operations certification helps ensure we are driving best practices in the industry.”

Certification provides customers with an increased level of confidence that they will get more value from their investments in HP technology:

• Excellence in Service Operations distinguishes HP for delivering excellence to its business PC customers across all significant modes of technical support: telephone, web and field service.
• Certification recognizes the support people, processes and technologies that will help customers get the most from their technology investments.
• HP had to meet or exceed 290 best practice criteria developed by the SSPA and validated by 50 leading technology companies.
• Rigorous onsite audits conducted by seasoned service executives with more than 20 years of experience confirmed HP’s excellence in service operations.

Excellence in Service Operations is a comprehensive program developed by 50 leading technology companies and includes more than 290 best practice criteria. It involves in-depth audits of all material support functions and locations for a business.

“Excellence in Service Operations is more than customer satisfaction and external marketing-focused. It speaks to delivering operational processes that directly impact the quality of service and support the commercial market expects in today’s economy,” said Joanne Weigel, director, Organizational Certification Programs, SSPA.

About SSPA
As the support industry’s premier management community, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) is a key resource for the information and best practices needed to make better business decisions. It brings together the best minds from across the industry spectrum—from established companies with successful track records to pioneering newcomers with out-of-the-box ideas. The SSPA also partners with thought leaders, such as J.D. Power and Associates and the Wharton School, to create programs that benefit the industry. SSPA is a member of a global network of associations that includes the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA) and the Association for Services Management International (AFSMI). For more information, visit www.thesspa.com.

About HP
HP, the world's largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com/.
Note to editors: More news from HP, including links to RSS feeds, is available at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/.

(C) 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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