QLogic Powers Affordable 2Gb SANs at 1Gb Prices with SAN Connectivity Kit 2000, Priced at $9,999; Turn-Key Kit Includes QLogic 2Gb Switch, HBAs and SANsurfer Tool Kit Software

Business Wire, Oct 8, 2002

Business Editors & HIgh-Tech Writers

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 2002

QLogic Corporation (Nasdaq:QLGC), the company that powers storage area networks (SANs), today announced the SAN Connectivity Kit(TM) 2000, a complete 2Gb storage network infrastructure solution for small and medium-sized enterprises. At $9,999 manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), the SAN Connectivity Kit 2000 offers twice the performance for the same price as the 1Gb SAN Connectivity Kit 1000.

Available through authorized distributors in North America and Europe, the SAN Connectivity Kit 2000, offers a simple, affordable entry to the benefits of SANs, with no sacrifices in performance. The kit includes everything an IT administrator needs to get started in connecting their first storage network including:

-- QLogic SANbox2(R) 8 port switch

-- Four SANblade(TM) 2310 host bus adapters (HBAs)

-- QLogic SANsurfer(TM) Tool Kit SAN management software

-- Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) connectors

-- Device driver software for Windows NT, Solaris, Linux and NetWare

-- Compatibility with 1Gb devices

-- Four Fiber optic cables

-- User's Guide

-- One year warranty

"2 Gig matters now, and at this price point, it should be able to make an impact in the mid-market," said Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst, Enterprise Storage Group. "SAN adoption is taking off in earnest, and by eliminating the price concerns, more folks should find this attractive."

SANbox2 8 Port Switch

The SANbox2 8-port switch has been independently verified as E-port compliant by the FCIA SANmark(TM) program for compatibility with other vendors' switches. It delivers proven performance with industry-leading latency and bandwidth benchmarks in an ultra compact form factor suitable for desktops. The SANbox2 8 port footprint allows SAN administrators to mount two SANbox2 8-port units in 1U of Rack space, and "dual-path" their smaller SANs in one-half the footprint of other 8 port switches. Unlike competitive designs with replaceable power supplies, fans, control panels, etc., the SANbox2 8-port switch is a field replaceable unit (FRU) designed for easy service. SAN Administrators and service engineers require little training because servicing a SANbox2 is as simple as unplugging one switch and plugging in another.

SANblade 2300 Series 2Gb HBAs

QLogic's SANblade 2300 Series HBA won Network Computing's Well-Connected Data Management and Storage Technology Product of the Year for its superior driver implementation, ease of use and impressive performance. The SANblade 2310 HBAs included in the SAN Connectivity Kit 2000 deliver throughput performance of up to 2 Gb/s and a powerful suite of features that benefit a wide range of applications ranging from the workstation to the data center, offering reliability and cost effectiveness with HBA components integrated into a single chip. All major operating systems including Windows 2000 and NT, Solaris, NetWare and Linux offer native support for the SANblade 2310.

SANsurfer Tool Kit

The QLogic SANsurfer Tool Kit unifies switch and HBA SAN Management, providing SAN Administrators with rich features, all in a single, easy-to-use, point-and-click console. The SANsurfer Tool Kit complements SAN management packages from leading software companies including: Computer Associates(TM), IBM(R) Tivoli(R), Legato(R), VERITAS(TM) and others. QLogic SANsurfer Tool Kit comes standard with all QLogic SANblade(TM) HBAs and SANbox(TM) switches sold through the distribution channel, and is available for download on QLogic's Web site.

Powered by QLogic

QLogic technology powers SAN solutions from the world's leading storage vendors including Cisco, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Quantum, Sony, StorageTek and Sun. The industry depends on QLogic to simplify SANs with native Fibre Channel support designed into all major operating systems and to innovate new ways to network storage through new technologies like Virtual Interface (VI), Fibre Down(TM) and iSCSI.

About QLogic (www.qlogic.com)

QLogic Corporation (Nasdaq:QLGC) simplifies the process of networking storage for OEMs, resellers and system integrators with the only end-to-end infrastructure in the industry, consisting of award-winning controller chips, host bus adapters, network switches and management software to move data from the storage device through the fabric to the server. QLogic designs and produces solutions based on all storage network technologies including SCSI, iSCSI, InfiniBand and Fibre Channel. A member of the S&P 500 Index, QLogic was recently ranked number 25 on Forbes' Best 200 Small Companies and was named to Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies list for the third consecutive year.

Note: All QLogic-issued press releases appear on the company's Web site (www.qlogic.com). Any announcement that does not appear on the QLogic Web site has not been issued by QLogic.

Disclaimer -- Forward-Looking Statements

With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company wishes to advise readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those factors include new and changing technologies and customer acceptance of those technologies; a change in semiconductor foundry capacity or conditions; fluctuations in the growth of I/O markets; fluctuations or cancellations in orders from OEM customers; the Company's ability to compete effectively with other companies; cancellation of OEM products associated with design wins; and reductions in the need for space and increased costs of operations due to facility relocation. Carrying additional expansion space may increase costs and adversely impact future earnings.