ADIC and Benchmark Electronics Complete Expanded Outsourcing Agreement.

Business Editors

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 2003

Advanced Digital Information Corporation (NASDAQ: ADIC) announced today that it has finalized its agreement with Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: BHE) to expand an existing outsource manufacturing relationship to include a significant portion of ADIC's entry-level and workgroup tape automation product line.

As part of the agreement, approximately 150 ADIC team members associated with manufacturing, test, and supply chain management for the transferred operations have become Benchmark employees. At the same time, Benchmark assumed ADIC's lease on its Marymoor manufacturing facility and purchased inventory associated with the product line. Under the terms of the agreement, which was first announced in early October 2003 with the signing of a letter of intent, Benchmark will provide manufacturing, configure-to-order and order fulfillment services for ADIC from the Marymoor facility as well as from other Benchmark locations worldwide.

ADIC officials explained that the Benchmark agreement represents an extension and consolidation of an existing, successful strategy to outsource manufacturing for portions of its high-growth, high-volume entry-level product line. As planned, ADIC has consolidated the design activities for these products in the company's Redmond, Washington headquarters facility.

The design and manufacture of ADIC's larger, enterprise library products--which currently takes place in Denver, Colorado and Boehmenkirch, Germany--are not affected by the agreement. ADIC's post-agreement worldwide workforce is approximately 1,100 team members. Company officials do not expect the asset sale to have a material impact on the company's results of operations.

"We are pleased to have completed an agreement where all parties should benefit," said Peter van Oppen, ADIC Chairman and CEO. "This agreement will give our customers the highest product quality at the lowest possible price. It will expand the range of opportunities for ADIC team members who have joined Benchmark. It will provide Benchmark with an expanded product line and manufacturing base. And we believe it will give the best return to our shareholders over the long run."

"This agreement strengthens an already strong relationship between Benchmark and ADIC, and provides us with a significant opportunity to expand the alliance," said Cary Fu, President, Benchmark Electronics, Inc. "We are pleased to be able to continue to provide ADIC with exceptional products and services, and to expand the levels of support that we are able to offer to our growing customer base in the Pacific Northwest and around the world."

About Benchmark Electronics, Inc.

Benchmark Electronics, Inc. is in the business of manufacturing electronics and provides its services to original equipment manufacturers of computers and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, video/audio/entertainment products, industrial control equipment, testing and instrumentation products, and telecommunication equipment. Benchmark's global operations include facilities in eight countries. Benchmark's Common Stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BHE.

About ADIC

Advanced Digital Information Corporation (NASDAQ: ADIC) is a leading provider of Intelligent Storage(TM) solutions to the open systems marketplace. ADIC(R) is the world's largest supplier of automated tape systems using the drive technologies most often employed for backing up open system, client-server networks.(a) The Company's data management software, storage networking appliances, and disk-to-tape data protection solutions provide IT managers innovative tools for storing, managing and protecting their most valuable digital assets in a variety of disk and tape environments. ADIC storage products are available through a worldwide sales force and a global network of resellers and OEMs, including Cray, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun. For more information, visit www.adic.com.

(a) Market position from: IDC 2001 worldwide revenue and unit market share data for all automated systems using DLT, SDLT, LTO, 8mm or AIT drives; and Gartner Dataquest, Tape Automation Systems Market Shares, 2002, F. Yale, April 2003. ADIC is a registered trademark and Intelligent Storage is a trademark of Advanced Digital Information Corporation. All other trade or service marks mentioned in this document should be considered the property of their respective owners.