NetApp® StoreVault™ and immixGroup Simplify Availability of Networked Storage Solutions for Government Customers

Business Wire, May 29, 2007

StoreVault Teams with immixGroup to Expand SMB Market Coverage and Provide Government Customers with Fast Access to StoreVault Solutions

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- StoreVault, a NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) division, today announced it is teaming with immixGroup, a leader in technology representation, channel programs, and government contract management, to expedite government customers' access to StoreVault networked storage solutions.

As part of its agreement with immixGroup, StoreVault is now making its networked storage solutions, including the StoreVault S500, available on the immixGroup General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule contract to simplify the procurement process for federal, state, and local government customers, with attractive pricing on StoreVault solution bundles and software. In addition, value-added resellers (VARs) selected and authorized by StoreVault and immixGroup under the program can sell into federal and select state government markets, benefiting from the focused StoreVault SMB channel program with no direct sales force -- a model that channel partners can trust.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with NetApp to include StoreVault network storage solutions," says Art Richer, president of immixGroup. "StoreVault will be a valuable partner in meeting government agency needs for proven storage solutions to solve their data management challenges. Now government agencies can more easily and quickly realize the benefits of StoreVault storage solutions at an attractive and affordable cost."

GSA establishes long-term, government-wide contracts with commercial companies to provide access to more than 10 million commercial products and services that can be ordered directly from GSA Schedule contractors such as immixGroup. As government agencies face increasing cost pressures, the StoreVault S500, a scalable all-in-one network storage appliance, is ideal for government agencies that have tight storage budgets but yearn for robust solutions to manage, protect, and recover their data. The StoreVault S500 offers enterprise-proven technologies in a solution that is still simple to manage and easy to install -- from carton to configured in minutes.

"We were facing some pretty significant challenges with skyrocketing data growth, sprawling computing equipment that was difficult to manage, and security and backup concerns," says Brad Crawford, IT manager for the City of Sherwood, one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon. "While we needed to address all these challenges, I also needed to do it within budget parameters. StoreVault was the best of the bunch, with other offerings from HP, Dell, EMC, and Adaptec too expensive or unreliable. The StoreVault S500 was simple to install and manage with our data in multiple locations, and the price was unbeatable," Crawford explains. "I paid $5 per gigabyte of storage before moving to StoreVault. Now I pay $1 per gigabyte with far greater reliability and enhanced features, which consolidated my environment. Every dollar saved here can now be invested in further developing the city."

Sajai Krishnan, general manager of StoreVault, understands the difficulties that government professionals such as Brad Crawford are confronting. "Government agencies are increasingly facing pressure to reduce costs and manage their budget with smaller IT staff, while still trying to solve big challenges in storing, protecting, and managing their data," says Krishnan. "We're seeing interest across a wide range of industries, especially in government where we have had a lot of early success. Our GSA contract with immixGroup will help further expand our market and reach into the government segment and evangelize smarter, simpler, more affordable storage to meet federal, state, and local government needs."

Price and Availability

StoreVault networked storage solutions are available immediately via immixGroup and qualified StoreVault value-added resellers (VARs) for federal and state markets, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas. Pricing is available directly from StoreVault VARs. For more information please contact immixGroup, Inc. at 703-752-0610, via e-mail at info@immixgroup.com, or on the Web at www.immixgroup.com.

About StoreVault

StoreVault, a NetApp division, is focused on delivering data storage solutions tailored to the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses. StoreVault combines enterprise-proven technology from Network Appliance[TM], a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise, with the scalability, simplicity, security, and affordability required by SMBs. Information about StoreVault solutions and resellers is available at www.storevault.com.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance is a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise. Since its inception in 1992, Network Appliance has delivered technology, product, and partner firsts. Information about Network Appliance solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.