HP: Jornada users won't be neglected

NEWS Hewlett-Packard has promised to provide at least three years of technical support to its Jornada handheld users worldwide, despite dropping the product line after merging with Compaq. All Jornada handhelds will be phased out by year end -- with the exception of the Jornada 720, which resembles a mini-notebook, and the Jornada 928, which features telephony capabilities. "HP is committed to supply replaceable parts for a minimum of three years from the date of purchase, including the first year warranty," company spokesperson Cecilia Pang told CNET Asia. Pang could not commit to repair services beyond that period, adding that "it would depend on the availability of parts." Support also covers helpdesk services and software upgrades, available from HP's Web site. Concerns over the level of technical help for the discontinued Jornada series followed HP's May decision which favoured the more popular Compaq iPaq handhelds. Over two million iPaq units have been sold globally since its debut two years ago. The sales performance of HP Jornadas -- which carry a starting price of $449 -- is unknown. Last month, the entire Jornada development team in Singapore was disbanded, as part of a continuous cost-cutting measure. Although HP would not reveal the number of employees affected, the company reportedly had about 100 engineers and designers in Singapore, where the Jornada products were developed and made. HP's $18.7bn acquisition of Compaq was concluded on 3 May. By combining, the two companies hope to reduce yearly costs by $2.5bn, mainly from cutting 15,000 jobs worldwide. Pang also confirmed that the Jornada 928 is on schedule for worldwide shipment by year end. She noted that a trial with the Singapore Police Force, involving 150 units of Jornada 928, is poised for launch between September and October. The pilot will enable policemen to wirelessly access criminal and vehicle registration records, as well as capture and upload pictures of stolen automobiles to the police intranet.

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