JNI Lands IBM ``Shark'' Storage Server for Sun Platforms; IBM Qualifies JNI PCI, SBus Fibre Channel HBAs for Enterprise Storage Server

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2000

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2000

JNI(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:JNIC), the fastest growing Fibre Channel host bus adapter company in 1999(a), today announced that IBM(R) (NYSE:IBM) has qualified JNI's FCI-1063 PCI-to-Fibre Channel and FC64-1063 SBus-to-Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) for IBM's Enterprise Storage Server(TM) connected to fabric-enabled Solaris-based servers.

The Enterprise Storage Server, also known as the "Shark," is IBM's most sophisticated disk storage system and is based on a modular, Seascape(TM) architecture which provides IBM's customers with limitless data storage capabilities and the means to easily scale and manage that data to accommodate their data center growth. Shark was designed to work in heterogenous environments, across all platforms and is the cornerstone of IBM's open storage networking initiative.

"IBM designed its Enterprise Storage Server to effortlessly accommodate current data storage/management trends, one of those being Storage Area Networks, or SANs," said Scott Ruple, JNI senior vice president of business development and marketing. "The inherent advantages of a SAN, including data management, scalability, reliability and overall capacity have been integrated within the 'Shark.' JNI is very pleased to be playing a key role in IBM's next-generation storage server."

"IBM has leveraged JNI's technology to develop a number of enterprise-level products, including our own 1- and 2-Gb/s Ultrastar(TM) line of Fibre Channel hard drives," said Dean Underwood, marketing manager for disk subsystems, IBM, which also delivers native Fibre Channel for the RS/6000, NUMA-Q, Netfinity and all other vendor implementations of NTServers. "We're pleased to have qualified JNI's FC64-1063 and FCI-1063 Fibre Channel HBAs for use with our Enterprise Storage System -- the reliable and heterogeneous nature of JNI's PCI and SBus HBAs, along with their broad compatibility, makes their qualification a priority."

About IBM's Shark Enterprise Storage Server

The "Shark" Enterprise Storage Server is the high performance disk storage solution from IBM, the world leader in storage systems, software, services and technology. Built on the foundation of IBM's Seascape Storage Enterprise Architecture, "Shark" works with Windows NT, UNIX, Novell NetWare, S/390 and AS/400 -- and with a variety of interfaces, including Fibre Channel, Ultra SCSI and ESCON. "Shark" incorporates IBM unique technology such as Parallel Access Volumes (PAV) currently unavailable in competing systems from EMC and Hitachi Data Systems. For more information on the Enterprise Storage Server and its performance advantages over competing products, visit www.ibm.com/storage.> About JNI Corporation

JNI Corporation (Nasdaq:JNIC) is the fastest-growing Fibre Channel host bus adapter company and the NO. 2 manufacturer of Fibre Channel HBAs (non-captive) in revenue in 1999 according to IDC (3/00). JNI offers a broad line of HBAs, ASICs and software for storage area networks (SANs). JNI's PCI products operate on Solaris, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Novell, Linux and MacOS systems. JNI's SBus products run on Solaris. Customers include Amdahl, Avid, Chaparral, Compaq StorageWorks, Consan, EMC, Eurologic, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, LSI Logic, McData, MTI, StorageTek and Sun Microsystems. Company headquarters are in San Diego. www.jni.com.

JNI -- First in Fibre Channel(TM)

Forward-Looking Statements

With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include the rapidly changing technology in the company's markets, the evolving industry standards and frequent introductions of new products and enhancements; the fact that the Fibre Channel market is at an early stage of development; the company's reliance on certain contract manufacturers, OEMs, distributors and key customers and the other risks discussed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

JNI, JNIC, DriverSuite, FibreStar and "First in Fibre Channel" are registered trademarks or trademarks of JNI Corporation. IBM, Enterprise Storage Server and Seascape are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

(a) Fastest-growing overall and No. 2 non-captive (merchant) host bus adapter company in terms of revenue according to IDC Bulletin No. 22058, published April 2000.