BakBone Software Certifies Adaptec Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters For Compatibility With NetVaul.

Business Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2001

BakBone Software(TM) (OTC:BKBOF) (TSE:BKB.), a global provider of storage management solutions, today announced it has certified Adaptec Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ADPT) AFC-9110G Host Bus Adapter (HBA) for use with BakBone's NetVault(TM) backup/restore software.

Customers now have the flexibility to use an Adaptec Fibre Channel HBA in combination with NetVault.

The certification blends the power and ease of use that are hallmarks of both NetVault and the AFC-9110G, and enables users at small and mid-sized enterprises to design and implement storage area networks (SANs) with a minimum of trouble and a maximum of both efficiency and return on their investment.

The announcement illustrates BakBone's commitment to achieve certification with leading providers of hardware for storage area networks (SANs). The certification provides customers and resellers with the knowledge that NetVault solves many of the interoperability problems between hardware and backup software that have slowed adoption of SANs at enterprises of all sizes. The certification tests were conducted at BakBone's SAN Interoperability Lab in San Diego, and are consistent with BakBone's mission of becoming a leading provider of storage management software for advanced storage architectures.

"The lack of assured interoperability has caused some companies to slow the adoption of SANs as a key component of their storage infrastructure," said Randy Batterson, BakBone's Director, Strategic Alliances. "By certifying that NetVault works seamlessly with Adaptec's HBAs, those companies have one less barrier to consider, and one more reason to begin storing their corporate-critical data on SANs, and benefiting from the speed and security that they provide."

"Functionality and interoperability of SAN management software continues to be an issue for many IT managers today," said Peter Aylaian, director of marketing for Adaptec's Storage Networking Group. "Adaptec is pleased to assure interoperability between ourselves and BakBone's robust product offering."

BakBone's NetVault represents a radical departure from software solutions offered by other firms that require substantial upgrades and intensive technical support for companies seeking to grow their storage capabilities from direct-attached storage through network-attached storage (NAS) and SANs. It continues BakBone's tradition of offering software that combines powerful performance with unparalleled ease of use throughout the entire product lifecycle. In addition, the software is designed so that it can be installed within minutes or hours, instead of the days or weeks required by competing products.

Adaptec provides a family of 1- and 2-Gbit Fibre Channel HBAs for a variety of applications. Adaptec's AFC-9110G is a 1 Gbit HBA with data transfer speeds of 100 MB/sec in half duplex mode and 200 MB/sec in full duplex mode. All of Adaptec's Fibre Channel HBAs feature Agilent Technologies' industry-leading Tachyon Fibre Channel controllers combined with Adaptec drivers and SAN management software. Tachyon controllers use Finite State Machine architecture, which performs more efficiently than controllers that use an embedded microprocessor approach.

About BakBone Software, Inc.

BakBone Software(TM) (TSE: BKB, OTC: BKBOF) is an international storage management software company that develops and globally distributes industry-leading storage management solutions to the open systems markets, providing data protection and management solutions scalable from workgroup to enterprise that will grow with a company's needs. BakBone's core products include near-line optical and archival, as well as tape backup and restore software for a full suite of storage management solutions to the corporate data center.

BakBone's corporate headquarters is located at 10145 Pacific Heights Boulevard, San Diego, California 92121. Its stock is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and is included on the TSE 300 Composite, S&P/TSE Canadian SmallCap and TSE 200 indices. For more information on BakBone products, call 858-450-9009, e-mail [e-mail], or access BakBone's web site at www.bakbone.com.

About Adaptec, Inc.

Adaptec (NASDAQ: ADPT) provides broad markets with intelligent, highly available storage access solutions that reliably move, manage, and protect critical data and digital content. Adaptec's storage solutions are found in high-performance networks, servers, workstations and desktops from the world's leading manufacturers, and are sold through distribution channels to ISPs, enterprises, medium and small businesses and consumers. Adaptec is an S&P 500 member. More information is available at www.adaptec.com.

Safe Harbor 

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees since there are inherent difficulties in predicting future results, and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. # # # BakBone Software, the BakBone logo, and NetVault are all trademarks or registered trademarks of BakBone Software, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and used to identify, products or services of their respective owners.