Houston, TX -- NEC Corporation (NEC) and Hewlett-Packard Company (HP)
announced a strategic alliance in the field of scientific-technical
calculation server development. NEC also announced sales of series of
scientific-technical calculation server products called TX7 Series Scalable
Server adopting HP's UNIX operating system (OS).

  The main contents of the alliance are as follows: NEC and HP will
cooperate to enhance the functions of HP-UX, HP's 64-bit UNIX OS, for the
use as scientific-technical calculation server. NEC and HP will work
together in the area of scientific-technical calculation program and tuning
support tool development to achieve further functional improvement of their
systems integrating HP's Technical Server tools and NEC's supercomputer
tools.

  In addition, the NEC and HP are also considering the joint development of
a scientific-technical calculation server involving the porting of
application software employed by the two companies in their current
scientific-technical calculation server products.

  The new products, TX7 Series Scalable Server, are most suitable high
performance server specifically current scientific-technical calculation
such as structural analysis and computer-aided engineering.

  The main features of the new products are as follows: The system features
one of the world's fastest and most advanced 64-bit PA-RISC PA-8000 and
PA-8200 CPUs ensuring a high processing speed from even a single CPU. It
uses a multiprocessor configuration to achieve a high processing capability
with enhanced parallel processing thanks to its shared memory capability.
It is a scalar shared memory scientific-technical calculation server with
up to 16 CPUs delivering a performance capability of up to 12.8GFLOPS. A
common program development environment is to be offered for use with both
the TX7 series and the SX-4 Series supercomputer. Efforts to strengthen
compatibility at the language specification level will make it easy to
configure a unified SX-4 Series and TX7 Series scientific-technical
calculation environment.

  The pricing for the minimum configuration and shipping date for the
various models of the TX7 Series are follows:


Model          Standard Price     Shipping Date
TX7/D280        4,700,000 yen ~   End of Dec. 1997
TX7/K370       10,700,000 yen ~   End of Dec. 1997
TX7/P590       17,600,000 yen ~   End of Dec. 1997
TX/V2200       31,500,000 yen ~   End of Dec. 1997



In the scientific-technical calculation field, there is always a demand 
for a faster calculation performance backed by technology. At advanced 
research institutions such national research institutes and university 
computer centers, the supercomputer, especially the high-end vector 
type of supercomputer, has always played a key role, and will 
reportedly continue to do so in the foreseeable future. 

In November 1994, NEC began marketing its vector/shared memory type 
SX-4 Series supercomputer and in November 1995, its SX-4B 
High-Performance Computing Server was developed as a lower-priced 
system. These products have earned an outstanding reputation for 
their ease of use thanks to their shared memory technology and the 
high cost-performance they offer as a result of the use of CMOS 
technology, with 107 units ordered as of November of this year. 

In July of this year, NEC brought the development of its 
scalar/dispersed-shared memory type (ultra-parallel type) parallel 
computer Cenju-4 to a successful conclusion with the launch of 
this computer product which is primarily intended for parallel 
processing research and special applications. 

The new TX7 Series Scalable Server adds a scalar/shared memory 
type (SMP type:symmetrical multi-processor) product to this 
range to round off the extensive lineup of the NEC - HPC Server 
Family. This is a further step toward widening the product 
line-up at the entry-level end. 

NEC and HP signed a partnership agreement in the large UNIX 
server field in February 1995 and have expanded their 
cooperation since then, mainly in the commercial field. In 
March 1997, in particular, the two companies stepped up their 
cooperation with the joint development of the next-generation 
of HP-UX. NEC also had a sales tie-up in the supercomputer 
field with the former Convex Computer Company prior to its 
takeover by HP in November 1995. This partnership was
maintained after its takeover by HP. With the signing of the 
present agreement a further step has been taken, from a sales 
partnership to a technical alliance in the 
scientific-technical calculation (HPC) field. 

The future of the two companies' alliance in the 
scientific-technical computational server area is taking 
shape as both parties have agreed to work together in 
offering superior products by harnessing and fusing both 
companies' technologies: HP's leading-edge technology in the 
microprocessor and server areas, and the outstanding software 
and hardware technology in the HPC field that NEC has 
achieved through the development of products such as the SX 
Series supercomputer. 

While maintaining its commitment to the ongoing improvement 
if its SX-4 Series supercomputer, NEC is concentrating the 
sales thrust in the marketing of the TX7 Series Scalable 
Server on a variety of user areas, including the private 
manufacturing sector, universities and research 
institutions for applications such as structural analysis, 
fluid analysis, computerization technology, computer-aided 
engineering (CAE) and material design.