ACADEMIA

PALO ALTO, CA -- Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) and First Genetic Trust, Inc. today announced that HP is First Genetic Trust's technology partner for its high-performance, high-security IT infrastructure. First Genetic Trust is a genetic data banking service provider that seeks to protect individual genetic and medical information of people enrolled in genetic studies while providing medical researchers with the capability to collect, store and analyze genetic information for use in clinical trials. ``We wanted a company that would not just sell us computing solutions, but would become a technology partner -- working with us and helping us build a secure and reliable computing architecture,'' said Andrea Califano, chief technology officer, First Genetic Trust. ``Not only must our applications run quickly but researchers from all over the world must also be able to access our databases without inordinate delays or downtime. HP provided the complete solution -- from hardware and software to training and excellent customer service.'' HP and First Genetic Trust are building and deploying a secure, scalable and powerful technology platform for genetic banking that manages and protects genetic data critical to clinical trials, helping accelerate research in genetic-based medicine, diagnosis and treatment. Through a mechanism known as ``dynamic informed consent,'' First Genetic Trust protects the confidentiality of individual medical and genetic information, allowing access to select information and the use or application of an individual's DNA only when the patient has given specific consent. In addition to internal quality control and assurance practices, First Genetic Trust subjects its platform to external audits and reviews. ``HP is pleased to have been selected as First Genetic Trust's technology partner,'' said David Valenta, global market development manager, HP Life Sciences. ``We're confident HP can deliver the performance, reliability and security First Genetic Trust needs to accomplish its goals.'' First Genetic Trust's infrastructure is built on HP UNIX® 9000 servers, HP notebook and desktop PCs and printers, and HP Virtualvault. An award-winning enterprise security software used in over 130 financial institutions worldwide, HP Virtualvault is a comprehensive, layered and compact security solution that protects the Web server, applications, transactions and critical data. In its audit report of First Genetic Trust's technology platform, the Internet Security Advisors Group (ISAG) said it is ``the best that can be done with the current state of the art in security tools and appliances available today. In fact, it is the best we have seen to date.'' Visit www.hp.com for additional information.