Exabyte Redefines SMB Data Protection with Industry's First Entry-Level, Expandable Capacity LTO Tape Library

Business Wire, April 10, 2006

BOULDER, Colo. -- Exabyte Corp. (OTCBB:EXBY), the leading innovator in tape backup and recovery systems, today introduced the Magnum 224 LTO(TM) (Ultrium(TM)) Tape Library, aimed at meeting the data protection needs of small and midsized businesses and remote offices/branch offices of larger enterprises. The Magnum 224 delivers an unprecedented combination of plug-and-play backup simplicity and capacity-on-demand scalability in a compact and extremely affordable package loaded with high-end features.

With the introduction of the Magnum 224, Exabyte has created a new product category: the industry's first SMB/departmental entry-level LTO tape library. Its innovative scalable design delivers expandable capacity, enabling SMB customers to create custom configurations by expanding the number of tape cartridges and tape drives to meet their changing storage requirements. The Magnum 224 is available in two drive configurations: a single LTO-2 half-height drive and empty bay for a second LTO-2 drive; or with a single LTO-3 drive.

Significant advantages of the Magnum 224 include:

--Ultimate scalability starts at 4.8 TB(a) capacity with speeds of 172 GB(a) per hour; expandable to 19.2 TB(a) capacity and 576 GB(a) per hour

--The first and only LTO-2 library to break the $5000 threshold with an estimated street price of about $4600

--Outstanding warranty with one-year On Site Service (OSS) standard and a two-year extension available for about $450

--Compact, 2U LTO tape library that maximizes valuable rack space

--Superior reliability thanks to Exabyte's patented ExaBotics(TM) robotics technology

Long considered the most vital tape format for midsized enterprises and up, LTO is a high-performance tape technology offering versatility, reliability and performance, but LTO libraries have until now been kept out of reach for many businesses based on the high price of automation. Yet traditional solutions deployed by SMBs often fail to keep pace with data growth, posing costly challenges for customers over time. As a result, SMB customers have been faced with a dilemma of buying enough capacity to meet their current needs without scalability for the future, or overspending on large tape libraries that are overkill for their current requirements.

"We believe that these new libraries will prove that the small to midsized business market and departments within larger enterprises can and should be served with high-end automation. Exabyte is ready to demonstrate that an LTO tape library can be an easy out-of-the-box experience and can deliver on both initial and long-term savings as data loads increase," said Exabyte president Tom Ward.

The standard Magnum 244 package includes the drive, 12 cartridge magazine, a SCSI interface and 2U height robotics, and is loaded with standard features such as a rack kit, remote management capabilities, and a barcode reader -- essential tools that competing manufacturers add on at the end, often costing the customer more than an extra thousand dollars. Both configurations include a single 12-cartridge magazine with import/export drawer.

When the data load or throughput speed requires an upgrade, the addition of a customer-installable LTO-2 half-height drive and 12-cartridge magazine can double or triple the initial capacity and speed of the Magnum 224, depending on the user's choice of configuration. Total capacity ranges from 4.8 TB(a) for an LTO-2 drive configuration with a single media magazine to almost 20 TB(a) for a 24-cartridge, LTO-3 drive setup. The small 2U form factor is maintained even when the autoloader is scaled into a dual-drive, dual-media magazine library. Tapes can be easily inserted or removed through the single-cartridge import/export drawer without removing the entire 12-cartridge magazine. Additionally, power is not required to remove media from the unit, making it easy to access critical data under any circumstance.

Market research firm IDC confirms that LTO remains a bright spot in tape storage, with shipments showing increases year over year and outpacing their closest competitors (for more details, please refer to IDC research document, Worldwide Tape Drive, 2005-2009 Forecast and Analysis, #33478).

Under an OEM agreement, Exabyte is now shipping the Magnum 224 to Fujitsu Siemens Computers who is selling it as the FibreCAT TX24 in the EMEA market.

Pricing and Availability

Exabyte's Magnum 224 LTO Tape Library is available now from computer resellers. Pricing starts at $4,600 for the base configuration with one LTO-2 drive and one 12-cartridge magazine; an LTO-3 1x12 version is available for $6,000 (estimated U.S. street prices).

The Magnum 224 is protected by a standard 1-year warranty and 5x9 next business day on site service (OSS). An optional 2-year warranty and OSS service extension is available for $450 (estimated U.S. street price).

About Exabyte Corporation

Exabyte Corporation is the leading innovator and provider of tape storage products. For more than 20 years, the company has raised industry standards in engineering quality for tape drives and tape automation. Exabyte's groundbreaking VXA Packet technology is the capacity, speed, reliability, and value leader in small-to-midsize business tape storage and tape automation solutions. With patented and award-winning VXA Packet Technology and ExaBotics, Exabyte's VXA(TM) and LTO products are ideally suited for SMB and departmental servers, workstations, LANs, and SANs. Exabyte has a worldwide network of OEM, distributor and reseller partners that share the company's commitment to innovation and customer service, including IBM, Apple, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Fujitsu Ltd., Imation, Tech Data, and Ingram Micro. The company is also a founding member of the VXA Alliance, an industry group focused on providing information and education to the marketplace on the benefits of the VXA Packet tape format. For more information, call 1-800-EXABYTE or visit www.exabyte.com.