Linuxcare Chosen by Hewlett-Packard to Help Provide Technical Support for Customers' Linux Environments Worldwide

Linuxcare to Provide Back-line Technical Support Services, Education, and Hardware Certification

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2000 -- Linuxcare Inc., a recognized leader in providing comprehensive services for Linux, today announced that it has signed a contract with Hewlett-Packard Company to become a key provider of back-line technical support on Linux issues for HP customers worldwide. Another recent contract signed with HP calls for Linuxcare Labs to certify HP Brio and HP Vectra business desktop PCs and HP Kayak PC Workstations running the SuSE, TurboLinux and Red Hat versions of Linux.

"We look forward to helping HP deliver world-class Linux solutions in the marketplace and to giving their customers the best possible experience running Linux," said Fernand Sarrat, president and CEO of Linuxcare. "Being distribution-neutral gives Linuxcare a unique ability to optimize and support all Linux vendor distributions residing within an enterprise."

"This announcement further validates HP's ongoing commitment to Open Source," said Mike Rigodanzo, vice president and general manager of HP's Software Services Division. "By leveraging Linuxcare's expertise, we are adding to the comprehensive proactive and reactive technical support we already provide our customers who choose Linux as part of their enterprise solution."

Under the agreement today, HP's key Linux software services engineers will have 24x7 access to Linuxcare's Linux professionals, who can assist them in tracking both documented and undocumented fixes to customers' software problems. HP will also have the ability to refer more difficult issues at the software code level to Linuxcare experts for resolution as needed. In addition, Linuxcare will offer formal training courses to HP's support organization, and provide HP with quarterly reports on Linux distributions and news.

About Linuxcare, Inc.
Linuxcare, Inc. is the leading provider of customer services for enterprise Linux environments, including technical support, professional services, education, and product certification. Linuxcare supports all major distributions of Linux, leading Open Source software solutions, and Linux-based enterprise database applications, on all major hardware platforms.

With funding from Kleiner Perkins and others, Linuxcare counts Dell Computer, IBM, and Sun Microsystems among its strategic partners. The company hosts http://www.linuxcare.com/ the world's leading online technical support resource for Linux.

Founded in 1998, Linuxcare is headquartered in San Francisco. The company can be reached at +1-415-354-4878. Japanese information regarding Linuxcare services is now available through jpinfo@linuxcare.com.

Linuxcare and Linuxcare logo are service marks, and "At the center of Linux" is a trademark of Linuxcare, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks are acknowledged.

Forward-Looking Statements
 
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Investors are cautioned that statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding current or future financial performance, management's plans and objectives for future operations, product plans and performance, management's assessment of market factors and statements regarding the strategy and plans of Linuxcare and its strategic partners, constitute forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based upon Linuxcare's current expectations and judgement about future developments in Linuxcare's business and may be affected by several factors, including, without limitation, delays in or increased costs of production, delays in or lower than anticipated sales of Linuxcare services, general conditions in the computer industry. Linuxcare undertakes no obligation to update any such statements to reflect actual events.