The services -- HP Extended Office and HP Web Services -- are geared to assist business owners in installing, managing and supporting their information technology systems and quickly deploying their businesses on the Internet.

"Small business owners are faced with the daunting task of installing, managing and supporting their PCs and Web sites with limited or no IT support staff," said Michael Weir, general manager, HP Small and Medium Business Organization. "We take care of the technology so our customers can focus on their businesses."

HP Extended Office is a subscription-based service that combines business computing products with installation, business software and 24-hour phone support. The service requires that callers use the HP technical support number. If calls placed at that number are not answered live within 90 seconds after a subscriber initiates the call, the subscriber receives one month of HP Extended Office service free.

HP Web Services offers Web site construction to enable e-commerce and real-time credit card processing. The package also includes ready-to-use, industry-specific Web site templates that allow entrepreneurs to expediently put their businesses online.

At press time, the firm, based in Palo Alto, Calif., was trading at $32.56, up by $2.18.