API and Red Hat Create World-Class Center to Develop Linux Clustering Technology.

Business/Technology Editors

LinuxWorld 2000

Red Hat Booth #445

API Booth #239

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2000

Leverages Combined Expertise and Open Source Development Model to

Deliver Linux Community with Clustering Technology for High

Availability Internet Business

Alpha Processor, Inc., a leading developer of high-performance Linux solutions, and Red Hat, Inc. (NASDAQ: RHAT), the market leader in Linux and open source solutions, today announced a technical partnership to create a world-class center for the development of Linux clustering technology.

Following Linux's open source model, the new clustering facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina will act as the focal point for Alpha clustering research and innovation for the Linux community. Clustering is an innovative software technology that ties together large numbers of computers to achieve higher performance and reliability for high availability applications like e-commerce Web servers. Clustering also lets mission critical enterprise, e-commerce and business applications leverage groups of inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware to achieve very reliable, super-computer-like performance.

&uot;Though we are housing this system at Red Hat, we want to make it clear that this is a resource for the entire open source community,&uot; said Mike Wangsmo, director of clustering technologies at Red Hat. &uot;If we are going to deliver true world-class performance, we need to enable Linux developers to work for a common goal. Our collaboration with API gives us access to a world-class resource to further the development of Linux clustering solutions based on Alpha, and the ability to accelerate the development of clustering technology for the Linux community.&uot;

Red Hat has already received the first four of the anticipated 32 dual-processor PowerRAC Chassis 320 systems that will be delivered by API to the new clustering lab. When fully configured, this 64-processor system will boast 96 GFLOPS of aggregate performance and be used to demonstrate the scalability of the Linux clustering technology. API's PowerRAC 320, a robust 3U rackmount server solution, is ideal for high performance Linux clusters, where footprint and performance are critical requirements.

&uot;Alpha believes our partnership with Red Hat will benefit the Linux community and will allow for additional breakthroughs within the clustering arena, where high-availability, high-performance and high-bandwidth are critical requirements,&uot; said Gerry Talbot, executive vice president and chief technology officer at API. &uot;With the system's superior power and size, the Linux engineering community will have the opportunity to gain unique insights into the nature of high-performance cluster systems. Through our unique collaboration, API and Red Hat intend to ensure that clustering technologies fully support the Alpha platform.&uot;

Continues Red Hat's Commitment to Open Source Development Model

In addition to this partnership, Red Hat recently convened, and API participated in, a clustering technology summit---inviting leading developers from around the world to share their experiences and ideas, in an effort to extend the commitment to open source to the entire community.

As with all Red Hat innovations, work done on the clustering project will be freely shared with the open source community under the GNU General Public License GPL and other public licenses. Some of Red Hat's other recent open source community contributions include: contributions to the Mozilla project and the formation of the Red Hat Center for Open Source, a non-profit organization that sponsors, supports, promotes and engages in a wide range of scientific and educational projects intended to advance the social principles of open source.

This partnership follows the recent acquisition of Cygnus Solutions and is a result of collaborative work on GNUPro tools for Linux on Alpha processors. The industry standard GNUPro will be available at the end of Q1 through both companies. GNUPro provides platform vendors and Linux applications developers access to optimized compilation, debugging, and run-time components, enabling them to maximize software performance on Alpha running Linux hardware.

About Alpha Processor

Alpha Processor, Inc., (API), located in Concord, Massachusetts, is dedicated to the development of Alpha chipsets and high-performance Linux technologies for the Internet network infrastructure and HPTC markets. Addressing the demand for increased memory and I/O bandwidths to power the rapidly expanding Internet and HPTC applications, API's products are ideal for today's compute-intensive and high throughput demands. Its industry-recognized design team is committed to working with leading companies, IHVs and ISVs to deliver resellers, OEMs, VARs and customers with the highest performance, scalable systems available. For additional information on its products, the company or for the sales contact nearest you, please consult API's Web site at www.alpha-processor.com.

Open Source Momentum

International Data Corp. (IDC) research states that Linux was the fastest-growing server operating environment in 1998, growing more than 190 percent in that year alone and capturing more than 15.8 percent of the 4.4 million revenue shipment server operating systems market segment. Additionally, IDC states that Red Hat Linux is by far the most popular distribution, preferred by 68.7 percent of U.S. Linux users.

According to research firm NetCraft, Inc. (www.netcraft.com), 29 percent of all public Web servers run on Linux, making Linux the most popular operating system for public Web sites. Finally, IDC predicts that by 2002, there will be more than 55 million handheld and notebook-style information appliance devices and that by 2005, shipments of these appliances will exceed shipments of PCs.

About Red Hat, Inc.

Founded in 1994, Red Hat (NASDAQ: RHAT) is the market leader in open source operating system (OS) software, services and information, spanning powerful enterprise and Internet servers to next-generation devices and pervasive computing platforms. Along with its award-winning open source Red Hat Linux OS, Red Hat offers a full line of services, including telephone support, on-site consulting, developer training, certification programs and priority access updates, making Red Hat a leading resource for knowledgeable, innovative, mission-critical open source solutions.

Red Hat develops and shares all of its software innovations freely with the open source community under the GNU General Public License GPL and other public licenses. The Official Red Hat Linux OS and related services are available directly from the company and through its partner, distributor and reseller programs. Red Hat and the Official Red Hat Linux OS have received substantial industry praise. Recent accolades include: Red Herring's Top 100 Companies of the Electronic Economy, Upside's Hot 100 Companies, Network World's 10 Companies to Watch, Federal Computer Week's Government Best Buy, Software Development's Jolt Award, Information Week's Product of the Year and InfoWorld's Product of the Year four years in a row. Red Hat was also voted a &uot;LinuxWorld Favorite&uot; by the attendees of the two most recent LinuxWorld Expos, winning Best Server Distribution at the August show.

Red Hat is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. and has offices worldwide. Visit Red Hat on the Web at www.redhat.com. For investor inquiries, contact Lippert/Heilshorn at [phone].

LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release that are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding management's plans and objectives for future operations, and management's assessment of market factors, constitute forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, Red Hat's dependence upon an open source business model, product plans and performance, reliance upon independent third-party Linux developers, management of growth, reliance upon strategic relationships, expansion of Red Hat's business focus and operations, the possibility of undetected software errors, the enforceability of the GNU General Public License and other licenses under which Red Hat's products are developed and licensed, the scarcity of Linux-based applications, the risks of economic downturns generally, and in Red Hat's industry specifically, the risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, the viability of the Internet, year 2000 compliance efforts of Red Hat and of third parties on which Red Hat depends, and other risks detailed in Red Hat's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov.