9153 OPENstorage Disk Array Receives Microsoft Windows NT Certification; Certification Provides StorageTek Customers With A Thoroughly Tested, Clustered Storage Solution

Business Wire, Dec 7, 1998

LOUISVILLE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 1998--StorageTek(R) (Storage Technology Corp., NYSE:STK), the preeminent provider of network storage, today announced that its high-availability RAID disk array, the OPENstorage(TM) 9153, has received Microsoft's "Designed for Microsoft Windows NT" logo certification as both a SCSI RAID device and as an industry-leading SCSI storage cluster device.

StorageTek has worked with Microsoft to ensure customers that StorageTek's 9153 will operate seamlessly within a Windows NT environment.

Clustering technology ensures high data availability by providing for failover between two servers, meaning that if one server fails, another server will take over operations. Because clustering is a relatively new technology in the Windows NT environment, hardware certification is particularly important for customers of Windows NT looking to safely deploy clustered solutions.

"Microsoft is pleased that StorageTek's OPENstorage Disk Array has been certified for use on Windows NT Server and Clusters," said Edmund Muth, enterprise marketing group manager at Microsoft Corp. "Our mutual customers of Windows NT will benefit from the quality assurance and compatibility this certification provides when they deploy StorageTek's storage technologies."

Microsoft's logo program gives customers the assurance that products have been tested and verified to work well with Microsoft Windows NT Server software within a Windows NT business environment. StorageTek's OPENstorage 9153 disk array is listed on Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility List at www.microsoft.com/isapi/hwtest/hcl.idc

In addition to the 9153 certification, StorageTek is committed to working with Microsoft to provide best-in-class storage solutions for users of Windows NT. Most recently, StorageTek provided the storage infrastructure for Microsoft TerraServer, the world's largest database of aerial photographs and satellite images available to users via the Internet. Microsoft chose StorageTek's tape libraries for backup and image production of the Web site because of the proven reliability and performance inherent in StorageTek's tape technology.

"Our customer base for Windows NT is growing significantly," said Don Kleinschnitz, vice president of strategy and alliances for StorageTek's Multiplatform Business Group. "Microsoft certification of StorageTek's 9153 disk array is just another example of our commitment to continued collaboration with Microsoft to ensure that our mutual customers of Windows NT receive optimal storage solutions."

About StorageTek's OPENstorage 9153 Disk Array

StorageTek's OPENstorage 9153 disk system is a high-performance RAID disk subsystem that addresses storage requirements for Windows NT and Unix users. It is ideal for data intensive applications such as Internet services, enterprise resource planning and data warehousing. StorageTek's OPENstorage 9153 is also ideal for customers who want to use the system in a storage area network.

The OPENstorage 9153 RAID disk array scales from 45 to 720 gigabytes, holds up to 40 drives in a stackable frame and is cluster ready. It boasts an efficient five back-end bus architecture and supports Windows NT, Sun, HP, RS/6000 and SGI platforms. The unit also supports both Ultra-SCSI or Fibre Channel host attachments. The OPENstorage family also includes the 913x series of products (9131, 9133, 9135,9137) and the 9140 and 9145 Fibre Channel disk arrays.

StorageTek's 9153 also includes the OPENstack(TM) option, a stackable cabinet package whereby users can add additional disk systems or tape libraries as needed without interrupting network functions. The OPENstack cabinet was specifically developed for customers of Windows NT needing a comprehensive storage solution.

About StorageTek

StorageTek is the preeminent provider of network storage. The company's products and services are used to store, transport and secure more than 100 petabytes of the world's information, ranging from mainframe data to client/server applications to video, audio and still images. The company (Storage Technology Corp., NYSE:STK), based in Louisville, Colo., reported earnings of $232 million on revenue of $2.1 billion in 1997. Information on StorageTek is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.storagetek.com or phone 1-800-STORTEK.

TRADEMARKS: StorageTek is a registered trademark of Storage Technology Corporation. OPENstorage and OPENstack are trademarks of Storage Technology Corporation.