Big Rivers Electric Selects HP to Enable Future Growth and Stabilize Costs

HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced Big Rivers Electric Corporation, a Kentucky-based electric generation and transmission utility, signed a $27 million, eight-year technology and applications services agreement designed to help stabilize technology costs and enable future growth with a standardized enterprise resource planning (ERP) and workplace computing environment.

Big Rivers is in the process of integrating 10 previously leased power-generating units into its operations. Since the termination of the operating lease, it has become one of the largest power generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States.

"This technology integration is critical to efficiently manage our business,” said Mark Bailey, president and chief executive officer, Big Rivers. "The utility industry and applications expertise that HP brings will enable us to stabilize costs for our company and provide better service to our customers and the 111,000 member-consumers they serve.”

HP Enterprise Services will provide implementation, hosting and management services for the latest Oracle Release 12 ERP solution across all of Big Rivers’ corporate and plant operations. This will help improve applications performance, quality and reliability with service levels linked to key business performance indicators.

HP also will support and manage the utility’s workplace devices, including PCs, notebooks and handheld devices for approximately 600 employees, to further standardize technology and support across its operations.

HP teams onsite, at other Kentucky sites and in other U.S. locations will provide support.

"During this substantial plant integration project, it will be critical to keep Big Rivers’ daily operations running smoothly,” said Roy Pratt, chief technology officer, Global Utilities, HP Enterprise Services. "With deep utility industry expertise, HP provided steadfast support to Big Rivers throughout this project. As Big Rivers’ trusted technology partner with a full life cycle of Oracle services, we will help provide a stable foundation for the company’s future growth.”

Oracle is a member of the HP Agility Alliance, which is now in its fifth year. The alliance is a coalition of application and business service providers that work with HP to develop and provide dynamic business solutions.

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/.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 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.