PALO ALTO, Calif.-- March 2, 2004-- HP today announced its largest-ever imaging and printing services contract, signed with Ford Motor Company. The contract builds on HP's Total Print Management wins first announced last October, which now amount to more than $650 million to date. Leveraging its networking and printing expertise and worldwide services capabilities, HP can help companies save up to 30 percent of their total imaging and printing investments. Ford asked HP to help define a consistent global printing and imaging strategy that will manage devices, create an efficient print environment for workers and preserve capital dollars for the company. The agreement affects a total of 150,000 users and optimizes a fleet of printing systems in excess of 15,000 devices in the United States and Europe. By bringing in HP, the world leader in enterprise printing solutions, Ford can focus on its business, while experts from HP manage the imaging and printing infrastructure. "Ford is one of the first enterprise-level companies to recognize the significant impact imaging and printing has on its business," said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. "As a result, the company is making smart decisions that will help them operate more efficiently today and remain focused and adaptive into the future." HP worked with Ford to leverage its current infrastructure to implement a comprehensive management and cost reduction vision for its global imaging and printing network. Rather than taking a piecemeal approach to upgrading its printer and copier fleets, Ford chose to incorporate its complete set of devices, including copiers, faxes and printers, to develop a long-term cost savings for the company. With HP's help, Ford is now in the early stages of implementing an imaging and printing network designed to meet today's needs while planning for adaptive changes as technology helps move the company forward. "Ford is a leading force in the automotive industry. It's not unusual that a company like Ford would be one of the first to recognize the powerful savings of a hardware and management system that will allow them to best leverage their imaging and printing environment while preparing for future changes and growth," said Joshi. "Large global enterprises like Ford need innovative solutions that reduce costs and increase productivity in a fast-paced, global market." "More and more companies like Ford are evaluating their entire imaging and output infrastructure to simultaneously drive down costs while increasing efficiencies and worker productivity in their businesses," said Angele Boyd, group vice president, IDC. "This is one of the largest deals of its kind and validates HP's offering." HP works with enterprise customers such as Ford to provide Total Print Management solutions, an integrated family of software, hardware and imaging and printing services and supplies. This comprehensive offering helps reduce customers' time, cost, complexity and risk, providing an easy way to standardize and manage costs above and beyond hardware. In addition to a positive return on investment, customers have the advantage of powerful management tools, reliable infrastructure, unparalleled connectivity, and intelligent printers and multifunction products.