FAST Now Offers ISVs OEM Enterprise Search on Intel® Itanium® 2 Processor-Based HP Integrity Servers

Business Wire, Oct 11, 2005

OSLO, Norway -- FAST Demonstrates Industry Leading Platform Support for Enterprise Search, Becomes First Enterprise Search Vendor to Offer Support for HP-UX 11i on Intel Itanium 2

Fast Search & Transfer(TM) (FAST(TM)), the leading developer of enterprise search and real-time alerting technologies, today announced that FAST has become the first enterprise search vendor to offer support for Intel(R) Itanium(R) 2 processor-based HP Integrity servers, the high-end

platform delivered by HP and Intel. FAST has also joined the HP Developer and Solution & Partner Program and Intel(R) Early Access Program.

A critical component of FAST's OEM enterprise search strategy involves FAST InStream, an OEM-specific enterprise search solution developed specifically to meet the complex application-based search requirements of independent software vendors (ISVs). FAST InStream is extremely flexible and capable of running on a wide variety of operating systems, including HP-UX, Windows, Linux, AIX, and Solaris software platforms. FAST's ability to support the HP Integrity server platform will enable leading ISVs that embed FAST to accelerate their Itanium(R) architecture port schedule.

FAST InStream is designed to increase the value of enterprise applications and boost ROI for the partner's customers by leveraging the power of FAST Enterprise Search Platform (FAST ESP(TM)) technology. Supporting both structured and unstructured data, FAST InStream provides unique value across all types of software applications, including enterprise portals and intranet sites, ECM systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, Business Intelligence (BI) suites and applications, as well as storage and archiving solutions.

"FAST InStream continues to demonstrate that FAST's reputation for innovation and technical flexibility is well founded. The broad platform support offered by InStream enables FAST to work with a variety of leading ISVs, including Siebel Systems, EMC Documentum, and Computer Associates," said Bjorn Olstad, FAST CTO. "We will continue to adapt InStream to address both the technical and business requirements of ISVs -- superb capabilities that are low risk and straightforward to integrate, readily adaptable to OEM innovations, and efficient to support."

"With relevant search becoming the expected mode of navigation in enterprise solutions and the importance of search as a competitive differentiator in the ISV market, FAST has taken an important step in delivering highly scalable application-based search to many of our tier one ISVs," said Don Jenkins, vice president of marketing, Business Critical Servers, HP. "Our partners are only able to run on new platforms when their major embedded components support them. HP is working with FAST so that they continue to offer the broadest array of support for HP platforms."

"We are pleased to welcome FAST to the Intel Early Access Program. Extending the FAST InStream solution to Intel Itanium 2 processor-based HP Integrity servers enables a broader set of customers to make full use of the high performance and reliability that Intel(R) technology delivers," said Melissa Laird, general manager of Intel's Developer Relations Division. "Intel Itanium(R) 2 processors, HP servers, and FAST enterprise search form a combination of best-of-breed components that ISVs can use to extend and power their solutions."

FAST has transformed enterprise search from a powerful, yet narrowly perceived function, into an enterprise-wide strategic and tactical capability of pivotal importance. FAST ESP, FAST InStream and FAST's portfolio of solutions and Search Derivative Applications (SDAs) supply a complete information retrieval solution ideal for a growing number of key vertical markets and applications including e-Commerce and Internet Portals, Financial Services, Government, Life Sciences, Media and Publishing, and Telecom. For FAST, the search never stops.

About FAST

FAST creates the real-time search and filter technology solutions that are behind the scenes at the world's best known companies with the most demanding search problems. FAST's flexible and scalable integrated technology platform elevates the search capabilities of enterprise customers and connects people to the relevant information they seek regardless of medium. This drives revenues and reduces total cost of ownership by effectively leveraging IT infrastructure. FAST's powerful enterprise search technology solutions are used by more than 2,000 global customers and partners, including America Online (AOL), AT&T, Cardinal Health, CareerBuilder.com, Chordiant, CIGNA, CNET, Dell, Factiva, Fidelity Investments, Findexa, IBM, Knight Ridder, LexisNexis, Overture, Rakuten, Reed Elsevier, Reuters, Sensis, Stellent, Tenet Healthcare, Thomas Industrial Networks, T-Online, US Army, Virgilio (Telecom Italia), Vodafone, and Wanadoo.

FAST is headquartered in Norway and is publicly traded under the ticker symbol 'FAST' on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The FAST Group operates globally with presence in Europe, the United States, Asia Pacific, Australia, South America, and the Middle East. For further information about FAST, please visit www.fastsearch.com.