'Best Practices in Storage' Award Winners Recognized at Storage Networking World in Phoenix; Finalists in Five Categories Demonstrate the Strategic Importance of Storage Technology.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Storage Networking World Spring 2003

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2003

IDG's Computerworld, in partnership with the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA), today announced the winners of the bi-annual "Best Practices in Storage" Awards Program, at the Storage Networking World (SNW) conference, held this week at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Ariz. Winners in five individual program categories include The Carolina Panthers, Cisco, eBay and TELUS Mobility.

Two co-winners and one honorable mention in each of five categories were announced:

-- The American Museum of Natural History, New York and Earth

Satellite Corporation, Rockville, Md. (Honorable Mention:

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Waterbury, Vt.) for "Systems

Implementation"

-- Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, Texas and

eBay, San Jose, Calif. (Honorable Mention: US Air Force 45th

Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.) for "Storage Reliability"

-- Cisco, San Jose, Calif. and Draft Worldwide, Chicago

(Honorable Mention: Grant Thornton, Chicago) for "Data

Recovery"

-- Conseco Finance Corporation, St.Paul, Minn. and Maritz Inc.,

Fenton, Mo. (Honorable Mention: Wisconsin Physician's Service,

Madison, Wis.) for "Financial Return"

-- The Carolina Panthers, Charlotte, N.C. and TELUS Mobility,

Scarborough, Ontario, Canada (Honorable Mention: Skywalker

Sound, San Rafael, Calif.) for "Innovation and Promise"

"The SNW 'Best Practices in Storage' Awards Program recognizes a broad group of enterprises and the imaginative applications of storage technology that have enhanced their business," said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief at Computerworld and one of the programs' judges. "This diverse roster of winners - ranging from technology and medical companies, to financial firms and even an NFL franchise - demonstrates the prevalence of storage technology."

"The increase in submissions from the inaugural program in the fall demonstrates the strength of the SNW 'Best Practices in Storage' Awards Program," said Wayne Adams, member, board of directors, SNIA and SNW. "By continuing to recognize the outstanding achievements in storage, we are enhancing SNIA's relationship with the end-user community. The awards program presents end users with real-world examples of the challenges that everyone is facing in today's economic climate, and how to successfully address them."

Judges of the program were:

-- Wayne Adams, member, board of directors, SNIA and SNW;

-- Rick Bauer, CIO, The Hill School and chairman, Customer

Executive Council, SNIA;

-- Ray Dunn, representative, Supported Solutions and Storage

Management Initiative Forums, SNIA;

-- Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief, Computerworld;

-- Leo Leger, vice president, strategic initiatives,

Computerworld and member, board of directors, SNW; and

-- Richard Villars, vice president, Storage Systems Research,

IDC.

"HP is proud to again sponsor the SNW 'Best Practices in Storage' Awards Program at an event that is helping to change the industry," said Mark Sorenson, vice president and general manager, Storage Software Division, HP. "Supporting this program complements our corporate strategy of promoting customers' best practices, and our investment in SNW. This program represents the best from the SNW partners: industry awareness and expertise from the SNIA, as well as IT user sensitivity and editorial credibility from Computerworld."

More than 500 IT end-user companies and organizations responded to an initial "call for nominations" in mid-2002 that was announced to multiple industry audiences, including all SNIA member companies and Computerworld subscribers responsible for storage solutions in their enterprises. Fifty finalists were evaluated by a panel of enterprise and storage industry experts based on case study submissions that profiled the company, its IT department and storage challenges, as well as application deployment details, summaries of the key technology used and measurable solution outcomes.

For more information, and the complete list of winners and finalists, visit www.snwusa.com. The "call for nominations" for the SNW Fall 2003 "Best Practices in Stoarge" Awards Program will appear in June 2003 at www.snwusa.com and www.snia.org.

About Computerworld

Computerworld is the only integrated media company focused exclusively on the information needs of IT Leaders - those who manage and implement technology in Global 2000 organizations. The company's flagship weekly newspaper - along with its Computerworld.com Web site and conference series for IT Leaders - form the U.S.-based hub of the world's largest (58-edition) worldwide IT media network. Publishing since 1967, Computerworld has been recognized numerous times by Folio: Magazine and the Computer Press Association as the best computer newspaper, is winner of the 2003 Jesse H. Neal Award for "Best News Coverage," and was named to the "Media Power 50" in 2002 by Crain Communications' BtoB Magazine. Winner of more than 70 print and online editorial awards since 1998, Computerworld has a newspaper circulation of 202,000, a total print audience of 1,846,000 (according to IntelliQuest CIMS v.9.0), and an online audience of 800,000 unique monthly visitors (according to DoubleClick). Breaking news and resources for IT Leaders are available at www.computerworld.com.

Computerworld is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 330 targeted Web sites in 80 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and IDG's research company, IDC, provides global market intelligence and advice through 51 offices in 43 countries. Company information is available at www.idg.com.

About the SNIA

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a not-for-profit organization, made up of over 300 companies and individuals spanning virtually the entire storage industry. SNIA members share a common goal: to set the pace of the industry by ensuring that storage networks become efficient, complete, and trusted solutions across the IT community. To this end the SNIA is uniquely committed to delivering standards, education and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. For information visit the SNIA Web site at http://www.snia.org.