Canal Web Chooses Network Appliance Storage Solutions to Power Its Interactive Television Web Site.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

Network Appliance Solutions Ensures On-Demand Access for Canal Web

Customers

Network Appliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP), the leading provider of network-attached data access and content delivery solutions, today announced that Canal Web, the French and European leader in Internet television, has selected Network Appliance as its vendor of choice for its networked storage solutions. Canal Web will utilize Network Appliance solutions to enable on-demand accessibility for end-users and ensure scalability with minimal service disruption. The Network Appliance solution stores more than 200GB of Canal Web's disk space, serving 6,000 hours of video-on-demand (VOD) programs to customers in multiprotocol environments, supporting UNIX(R), Linux(R) and Java(R).

"Today, customers demand that we provide TV-quality VOD," said Romain Gires, technical manager of Canal Web. "The NetApp(R) solution allows us to consistently provide uninterrupted, on-demand access, which is vital to our success. Plus, minimal IT administration and management is required, lowering our overall total cost of ownership."

Canal Web is a participant in Network Appliance's "Powered by Network Appliance" program, a branding initiative designed to foster business development and enhance the exposure of companies with e-business driven strategies.

About Canal Web

Canal Web is the first European provider of interactive TV on the Web. The Canal Web programmes, totally free of charge, are designed in order to reach the users by all technical ways, including the high-speed Internet.

This new approach is called "narrowcast": the television is not only a mass media (the "one to all" concept), but becomes also a new media capable of reaching only a few thousands of users (the "one to one" concept).

With more than 60 hours of "fresh" programmes per week, Canal Web is certainly one of the most attractive cable or satellite channels. The key advantage provided by Canal Web is an extensive catalogue of more than 10,000 programmes available through video on demand requests, with multiple selection criteria: key word, channel, theme ... Moreover, the users can benefit from additional interactive functions: associated information, forums, on line purchase, ...

Founded by Jacques Rosselin, in Paris in July 1998, Canal Web welcomes more than 450,000 visitors each month, accessing to more than 100 thematic programmes. The company employs 120 people, and expect to reach an annual turnover of 12 MF for 2000. More information is available at www.canalweb.net.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance, Inc., a veteran in network file storage and content delivery, has been providing data access solutions since 1992, and is a member of both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 index. Major corporations and service providers, including Lycos, Yahoo!, Citicorp Securities, Siemens, Lockheed, Cisco, Motorola, and Texas Instruments have deployed NetApp solutions.

The company pioneered the concept of the "network appliance," an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. NetApp storage and content delivery platforms (filers and NetCache(TM) appliances) are coupled with powerful content distribution and reporting software. This end-to-end solution offers seamless data management from the back-end data center to the edge of the network quickly, simply, and reliably. The Network Appliance product portfolio utilizes the company's innovative data access software, known as the Data ONTAP(TM) operating system, as well as standards-compliant hardware. It also offers multiprotocol support and transparent integration for UNIX and Windows(R) environments.

NetApp and the Network Appliance logo are registered trademarks and Network Appliance, NetCache, and Data ONTAP are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S and other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company Limited, in the U.S. and other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.