Business Services Industry

Compaq Increases Storage Capacity with New Drive; Lowers Enterprise Disk Drive Prices

Business Wire, March 18, 1999

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1999--Today Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) announced a new 18.2 GB Hot-Pluggable Wide-Ultra SCSI low-profile (3.5" x 1" form factor) hard disk drive for use with Compaq ProLiant servers and storage systems. The introduction of this high capacity, low-profile drive increases internal storage capacity up to 100 percent. The reduced drive height also allows users to improve performance by maximizing the number of drives installed in their systems without sacrificing total storage capacity. Available now, the drive is offered at the same competitive price as the 18.2 GB half-height drives that it replaces.

As with all Compaq Enterprise Class SCSI hard drives, the new drive passed the rigorous Compaq Hard Disk Drive Qualification (HDDQ) process to ensure the highest levels of disk drive quality and reliability. Rather than relying on statistical projections, the HDDQ process tests demonstrate drive reliability and robustness of design. Compaq hard drives are also tested to ensure seamless integration with Compaq hardware and supported operating systems.

Compaq also reduced prices on most SCSI drives by up to 25 percent, offering solutions with the highest reliability and functionality at the lowest total cost of ownership. Compaq can offer products at more competitive prices by making significant improvements in the efficiencies for inventory and distribution.

Compaq, the number one supplier of disk storage systems(1), offers leadership industry-standard storage solutions for servers, multi-vendor environments, and business-critical computing. The Compaq StorageWorks brand name is widely recognized for supporting the most demanding business applications and is supported by a broad product family.

For more information regarding the new Compaq Data Product solutions and pricing, see the Compaq website at http://www.compaq.com/storageworks.> Company Background: Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a Fortune Global 100 company. Compaq is the second largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers. For more corporate information, see: http://www.compaq.com/.> Compaq, Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

(1) See IDC's Year in Review, 1998: Disk Storage Systems Bulletin, December 1998