HEWLETT-PACKARD ON TUESDAY agreed to buy Bluestone Software, a provider of Internet software platforms, tools, and technologies.

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Through this acquisition, Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP gains Philadelphia-based Bluestone's Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and XML application servers and tools, as well as a Java transaction service, according to Bill Russell, vice president and general manager of software and services at HP.

"We'll form the core of HP's Internet offerings," said Kevin Kilroy, Bluestone's chairman and CEO.

The combined technology will enable customers to develop, integrate, deploy, and manage J2EE and XML applications and services across the enterprise and then to extend them to trading partners. Applications will be extended to customers conducting transactions via mobile appliances and devices.

Bluestone's software also will become the integrating platform for HP's current software offerings; and the combined platform's XML, e-services, and mobile technology will be the core of HP's next-generation software strategy, according to the statement.

Bluestone will become a wholly owned subsidiary of HP, and HP Consulting will develop a set of implementation and integration services in support of Bluestone's technologies.

HP also has a relationship in place with BEA Systems, via which customers can use BEA's software in conjunction with HP products. HP's Russell said that customers will still be able to choose BEA software if they so desire. But Bluestone's products will be more tightly integrated with HP's.

"Customers have come to us and expect us to have [this technology] ourselves and to integrate it with our own software," HP's Russell said.

Russell added that Bluestone's technology will be integrated into HP's e-speak, to create an XML interface across the Internet.

Bluestone also will be announcing Wednesday a new version of its Total e-Business suite and a new Total e-Mobile server, a mobile communications edition of its e-business platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bluestone shareholders will receive 0.2433 presplit shares of HP common stock for each share of Bluestone common stock. The companies declined to comment on a specific dollar amount.