Hewlett-Packard Co said last week that it has invested $32m in Mirror Image Internet Inc, the content distribution network subsidiary of Xcelera.com Inc, as part of a deal that will see Mirror Image use HP hardware, software and services on its network. The agreement will also see Mirror Image provide support for HPÆs e-speak e-services interface in its network.

Mirror Image operates a small but expanding network of Content Access Points (CAPs), caching farms based one hop from major internet exchanges, where content providers can have their bandwidth-hungry content cached closer to the end user. The Woburn, Massachusetts firm said it will deploy HP 9000 Enterprise Servers running HP-UX 11, Web QoS and MC/ServiceGuard, and HP SureStore E Disk Array XP256 and FC60 storage systems, at these CAPs, which should number 32 by the end of 2000.

The deal, which will see HP take $32m in equity and convertible debt in the company, will also allow the companies to explore ways of exploiting e-speak over Mirror Image’s content distribution network, and other ways HP can use its partnerÆs services.