COMPAQ INCLUDES ECRIX VXA TAPE DRIVES IN WORKSTATIONS.

Ecrix Corporation, Boulder, Colo, has signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) to sell VXA-1 Tape Drives for its commercial desktops and workstations.

"Our large commercial desktop and workstation installations are rapidly migrating from pure SCSI environments towards a mix of SCSI and IDE," stated Keith LeFebvre, director, Workstation and Thin Client Business Unit, Access Business Group, Compaq. "VXA-1, with both SCSI and IDE interfaces, enables Compaq to meet the high reliability and performance needs of this mixed market with one technology in lieu of multiple technologies."

"A major OEM endorsement of a new tape technology can have a significant impact on market perception and unit shipments," states Fara Yale, chief analyst, Computer Storage Service, Gartner Dataquest. "The workstation market has traditionally been a stronghold for DDS tape products; however, because no DDS vendor currently plans to develop future generation DDS drives, an opportunity is presented for other tape technologies to succeed in this part of the market."

"With the VXA-1 being the first tape drive to offer SCSI-class features and performance with an IDE interface, Compaq can now address both SCSI and IDE interface needs with one technology," said Bill Almon, vice president, sales and marketing for Ecrix. "Working with a Fortune Global 100 company such as Compaq is a major milestone for Ecrix and VXA technology."

Both SCSI and IDE versions of the VXA-1 tape drive offer capacities up to 66 GB at 6 MB/second (2:1 compression). The VXA-1 IDE tape drive features an Ultra DMA mode 2 interface and the VXA-1 SCSI tape drive has a Fast and Wide SCSI Ultra 2 LVD interface. VXAtape media is interchangeable between drives with both interfaces. VXAtape cartridges are also available in a selection of capacities from 12 GB to 66 GB and sold through a wide selection of resellers, e-tailers and directly from Ecrix.

The VXA Advantage

Ecrix award-winning VXA data storage tape products offer an unprecedented combination of data capacity, performance, reliability and overall value.

VXA tape products offer a superior read/write architecture that is designed for 100% data restore. Data is recorded in highly reliable Internet-like packets in lieu of large data blocks. The VXA products also capitalize on advanced metal evaporated media, which Ecrix markets under the brand name VXAtape.

Compatible with all major operating systems and backup applications, VXA-1 tape drives have received Microsoft's "Designed for Windows" certification. They have also attained status as the preferred tape storage device for Apple users and all primary Linux server and workstation manufacturers.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation ("Compaq") is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, and desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200 countries. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.

About Ecrix Corporation

Founded in 1996, privately held Ecrix Corp. (e' kree) is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. A tape storage innovator, the company's VXA tape products deliver market-leading value and enterprise-quality reliability. Ecrix is quality certified according to ISO 9001:2000 and markets its products worldwide through OEM, VAR, e-tailer channels and direct over the company's website. Ecrix's VXA products are sold on Compaq commercial desktops and workstations, Fujitsu's GP-S Family and PRIMEPOWER servers, over the Apple Web store and on the Intel Business Advantage Portal.

For more information, visit http://www.ecrix.com or call +1-800-VXA-TAPE (1-800-892-8273) or [phone].