Calimetrics Acquires Exclusive License to Innovative Near-Field Technology from Polaroid Corporation.

Business Editors/Computer Writers

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2000

Company Opens Bedford, Mass. Facility to Support Advanced R&D;

Announces That John Guerra and Colleagues Will Join Company and

Continue Work Under NIST ATP Joint Venture

Calimetrics, Inc., the emerging leader in data storage semiconductor and high-density optical media technologies, today announced it has acquired an Exclusive License from Polaroid Corporation for an innovative near-field embedded optics technology in optical data storage.

The company also announced the opening of a new research and development facility in Bedford, Mass., and the recruitment of John Guerra, P.E., as Vice President and General Manager, East Coast Operations.

The near-field technology provides a 2.5 to 3 times multiplier to the data capacity of reflective optical storage systems such as CD and DVD. Unlike other types of near-field recording, this technology is implemented without flying the optical head very close to the disc media, thereby solving a major technical problem that has delayed commercialization of near-field technology in removable optical data storage systems.

In combination with Calimetrics' proprietary MultiLevel Recording TechnologyTM, the Calimetrics' near-field technology provides approximately eight-fold increases in the data recording capacity of CD-R and CD-RW systems, to 5 gigabytes per disc, and approximately five-fold increases to recordable and rewriteable DVD formats, to 25 gigabytes per disc.

These gains are achieved without changing the lasers, optics, and mechanical components of the base systems. Calimetrics' technologies can provide significantly increased data capacity at much lower cost than alternative formats.

Guerra has been involved in optical data storage programs at Polaroid Corporation, his previous employer, for over fifteen years. He holds several patents in the field, as well as in near-field optics. Joining Guerra at Calimetrics are Dr. Dmitri Vezenov and Dr. Leonard Wan, also recently of Polaroid, who both bring extensive experience and technical innovation to the team.

Activities at the Bedford facility will include continuation of the Multiple Optical Recording Enhancements (MORE) Joint Venture, a four-year, $22 million project of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). Awarded in October 1997 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to Calimetrics, Polaroid, Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., and two universities, University of Arizona and Georgia Tech, the Joint Venture is managed by the National Storage Industry Consortium.

"We are pleased to add this exciting new near-field technology to Calimetrics' portfolio of optical data storage enhancements, and we are proud to have John and his colleagues join Calimetrics," said Ken Campbell, President & CEO of Calimetrics. "These developments add to the world class team, proven MultiLevel Chip Set and Disc Media products, and extensive IP portfolio that has positioned Calimetrics to meet the exploding demand for optical data storage in markets as diverse as digital video and personal and enterprise storage."

"My colleagues and I have enjoyed working with our friends at Calimetrics for the past two years as partners in the ATP MORE joint venture," Guerra remarked. "They are a rare combination of technical excellence and visionary leadership. Now we are delighted to be a part of Calimetrics and to develop and commercialize this exciting technology which we believe will define the market and uniquely position Calimetrics for growth."

Calimetrics, Inc. is a semiconductor and data storage technology company headquartered in Alameda, Calif. Incorporated in 1994, the venture-backed firm holds an extensive portfolio of intellectual property in the optical data storage field, and is the exclusive licensee of patents granted to the University of California, Berkeley, related to optical data storage.

Calimetrics-designed integrated circuits, cores and disc media enable low-cost production of optical data storage systems with significantly greater capacity and faster data transfer rate than currently available systems. Calimetrics has received investment from venture capital and corporate investors, as well as significant support from the Advanced Technology Program of NIST, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Calimetrics' new facility is located at 65 Wiggins Avenue, Bedford, Mass. 01730, tel: [phone], fax: [phone].