Bus-Tech Partners with Hitachi Data Systems for a High-Performance Virtual Tape Solution for TPF Mainframe Environments.

BEDFORD, Mass. -- Bus-Tech, Inc., a leading provider of modular, scalable Virtual Tape Library (VTL) controllers for IBM and compatible mainframes, today announced it has partnered with Hitachi Data Systems to provide support for IBM's Transaction Processing Facility (TPF). When coupled with Bus-Tech's Mainframe Data Library (MDL), the Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage 2000 family and Hitachi High-Performance Network Attached Storage (NAS) Platform, powered by BlueArc[R], will provide high-capacity storage systems for the virtual tape volumes.

This mainframe VTL solution provides TPF data centers with lower tape processing costs by eliminating the need to monitor tape drives and introduces innovative disaster recovery alternatives for mainframe environments. The combined offering stores and retrieves virtual tape cartridges and incorporates the advantages of open system networked storage into the mainframe data center environment. Significant performance improvements are realized by accelerating system utilities, data capture and restore processes to meet shrinking data processing windows and growing service level requirements. Customers gain measurable benefits, including storage consolidation, improved asset utilization, reduced TCO and a lower enterprise tape footprint.

The unique partnership between Bus-Tech and Hitachi Data Systems provides TPF customers with a single source to deploy an end-to-end VTL solution. The combined solution set will provide enterprise data centers with faster backups and restores, improved business continuity and elimination of tape processing bottlenecks. It allows customers to replace their aging mainframe tape subsystems with state-of-the-art tape-on-disk solutions for significant savings in operating costs and major reductions in data center floor space.

"Organizations are looking at mainframe VTLs to improve their tape processing efficiencies, achieve higher performance and lower tape processing costs," stated Brian Householder, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing and Business Development, Hitachi Data Systems. "Our partnership with Bus-Tech enables us to give mainframe customers more options and to provide them streamlined backup and recovery operations, increased levels of data protection for absolute data integrity and significantly reduced TCO."

"Hitachi Data Systems is well respected in the enterprise data center for its exceptional engineering, customer service and end-user reputation," stated Al Brandt, Bus-Tech's President. "Combining Bus-Tech's solution with Hitachi Data Systems addresses the growing demand for mainframe Virtual Tape Libraries in the high-performance world of transaction processing."

About Bus-Tech, Inc.

Bus-Tech, Inc. was founded in 1987 as a leading provider of highly available mainframe data center solutions. In 2002, Bus-Tech introduced its Virtual Tape solutions for the mainframe, which have been deployed by over 250 customers in 17 countries around the world. Bus-Tech, Inc. is privately held with headquarters in Bedford, Mass. For more information about Bus-Tech and its products, please visit the Bus-Tech web site at www.bustech.com, e-mail [e-mail], or call 800-284-3172.