Alacritus, Hitachi CP and Nissho Team to Create Virtual Tape Library Appliance; Industry's First Virtual Tape Library Appliance to Replace Storage Tape Libraries.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

TOKYO & LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 2001

In an unprecedented move, storage software leaders Alacritus Software(TM), Hitachi CP and Nissho Electronics have joined together to produce the industry's first virtual tape library appliance specifically targeted to the Japanese marketplace.

The technology is currently in beta testing with a first customer ship date in the fourth quarter of 2001.

Specifically, the virtual tape library appliance consists of Alacritus' Securitus(TM) I software installed on an e-Appliance storage router and Hitachi disk subsystems. Hitachi CP is integrating these three components. The virtual tape library technology can be used as an intelligent and high-performance front-end cache for physical tape libraries or as a replacement for physical tape libraries.

According to David G. Hill, Research Director, Storage and Storage Management at the Aberdeen Group, "Restoring a critical file or database is an example of data that has infrequent use, but, when you need it, you need it now. Until recently enterprises had to make a Hobson's choice between disk that had fast access, but was expensive and tape that was less expensive than disk, but also slower than disk. Securitus I takes advantage of the inexorably falling price of disk to deliver a cost effective solution that is also fast."

Alacritus Software's Securitus I enables a disk subsystem to function as a virtual tape library, making it more cost effective than tape libraries. Securitus I can also copy up to 10 times faster than a typical tape library to other media, and significantly lower administration cost with its simplified backup application configuration and tuning making library sharing transparent to application as well as dynamic tape drive "sharing" transparent to application.

According to Kazuo Nakagoshi, Board Director, Hitachi CP, "Hitachi CP views this virtual tape library appliance as key to the future evolution of the storage marketplace. Not only does Securitus I enable the development of a superior tape library, but also presages a new application suite in the high end of the storage management marketplace, similar to the arrival of mirroring, shadow image, and the like." Nakagoshi continued, "Customers have repeatedly told us that they need this superior functionality. We see it is as a precisely targeted add-on solution to our SANRISE Series".

According to Takao Tsuji, Managing Director at Nissho, "We see the solution enabled by Securitus I as a disruptive technology that we will directly build into our mainstream product offerings and see it eventually as a replacement for our autoloader business."

Securitus I is scheduled for beta tests in the third quarter of 2001, with first customer shipment scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2001.

About Alacritus

Alacritus was founded by the core management team of Intelliguard Software. This team, which has been in the storage software business since 1987, has the demonstrated ability to anticipate market needs, and the proven experience to be first to market. In addition, the Alacritus has employed the core engineering resources that has created and brought to market such industry advances as Celestra for serverless backup, the Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP), and Third Party Copy, among many others, such as BudTool, the first backup and restore tool for networked, UNIX-based environments.

Securitus I, the first Alacritus product enables a new class of computer storage called Disk-based Data Protection (DDP), which represents a `disruptive technology' in the multi-billion dollar tape library marketplace.

Alacritus Software is located at 1650 Holmes Street, Livermore, California 94550. For more information, call 925/743-7704 or visit http://www.alacritus.com. To schedule an interview, call 925/960-0695 or send e-mail to [e-mail].

About Hitachi CP

CP (Computer Peripherals Co.,Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi,Ltd. NYSE:HIT), is a company of advanced Storage and Image products. For more information on Hitachi CP, visit www.hitachi.co.jp.

About Nissho Electronics Corporation

Since its inception in 1969, Nissho Electronics Corporation has consistently played a principal role in providing the domestic Japanese market with advanced products incorporating new technologies. Its combination of solid in-house technical expertise and dedication to providing outstanding customer service and support is very attractive to its business partners all over the world. The company, with headquarters in Tokyo, has a total of 15 branch offices and service depots all over Japan, with annual sales revenues of more than $500 million.

It employs about 800 people, almost half of which are software and hardware engineers. As one of Japan's leading distributors and system integrators, Nissho handles various products and services from over a hundred business partners in the fields of information technology, telecommunications, semiconductors and electronics. Three major areas of specialty include: communications and networking; computers and advanced electronics; and solutions business systems. For more information, visit http://www.nissho-ele.com or http://www.nissho-ele.co.jp (Japanese site).