FTD + HP

For millions of people around the world, there is no simpler or better way to say, "I Love You," "Happy Mother's Day" or "Congratulations" than with flowers. In 1910, a small group of local florists in the United States recognized this potential and created the world's first "flower-by-wire" service. Today, that small coalition of florists has grown to become a worldwide florist network that includes approximately 50,000 members in 154 countries and is supported by powerful HP technology.

Everyday, FTD seamlessly processes tens of thousands of orders from around the world, connecting friends, families and co-workers from Tokyo to Paris to Nome, Alaska. In the process, FTD has become one of the world's most recognized brands and one of the few stalwarts of the e-commerce generation.

Of course, timing is everything. What good is the perfect bouquet of roses if it doesn't get where it's supposed to be when it's supposed to be there? In the flower business, accurate on-time delivery is the cornerstone of success, and with millions of orders processed each year, it's also one of the things FTD does with astonishing proficiency.

FTD's main technological artery is a powerful UNIX-based back-end system powered by HP and is capable of handling the Company's perpetual data stream, allowing each florist (or Internet consumer) the ability to find the closest network florist to the customer and then instantly exchange order information, whether they are separated by a few towns or a few times zones. All to ensure same-day deliveries in the U.S. and next day deliveries anywhere in the world, anytime. FTD powered by HP technology.

Every year, FTD continues to add new florists to its global network. When the flower company needed to streamline their in-store hardware to keep up with this growth, FTD again turned to HP. Today, many of FTD's florists rely on HP computers to exchange orders. In the next several years, new HP hardware will roll out to FTD's community of florists, making HP the premier provider of processing power for FTD's floral systems.

Of course, the end result is that now it's even easier for a son to walk into a flower shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota and order flowers and have them delivered to his mother in London, England-the very next day. With HP technology behind it, FTD and its customers are finding it a little easier to stay connected, bringing the world a little bit closer together-one flower at a time.