DiskSites Announces OEM Agreement with Expand Networks; VBranch Product Line Attractive to OEM Partners.

POTOMAC, Md. & ORLANDO, Fla. -- At Storage Networking World DiskSites, an innovator in optimizing the delivery of applications to distributed organizations, today announced that Expand Networks, a leader in Application Acceleration over the WAN, has chosen to OEM DiskSites product line. Using DiskSites' technology, Expand is bringing a first-to-market, comprehensive wide area file services (WAFS), branch level services and WAN optimization solution that is integrated at the hardware, software and management levels. The integrated offering is scalable and provides an open data delivery solution for the distributed enterprise, improving remote worker productivity, lowering the total cost of IT while also reducing corporate business risk.

Today's global enterprises rely on business continuity, mandating that data be available and accessible to users whether in a corporate boardroom or in one of thousands of branch offices. Application contention, slow access to centralized data, data integrity and security and the chattiness of applications are challenges faced by these global corporations. Data center, branch and network managers must provide access to the applications and services that users expect (including file, print, DNS and DHCP services, at a minimum) - and they must consolidate branch services into one platform for IT simplicity. Corporate IT staff must link people to the information they need regardless of where they are located - yet must do so with reduced budgets. A single platform that provides WAN optimization, application and protocol acceleration, branch level services, QoS and monitoring, along with wide area file services, provides the ROI global enterprises are seeking on their IT investment.

The agreement with Expand signals DiskSites intent to leverage its software-based open architecture, to team with best-of-breed partners and provide comprehensive, scalable solutions for wide area file services. "We are excited about Expand's ability to leverage DiskSites technology with Expand Networks' extensive customer base and over 300 channel partners to give customers the added benefit of integrated WAFS and WAN Optimization," stated Amir Shaked, CEO of DiskSites.

Deployed in over 1,200 customer networks including Motorola, Hitachi Capital, Continental Airlines and the United States Department of Defense, Expand Networks supports key IT initiatives including server and data center consolidation and server-based computing. Leveraging a Linux-based open architecture and recognizing the criticality of WAFS and CIFS optimization to server consolidation and workforce collaboration, Expand selected DiskSites to help the company deliver on its vision of a multi-service branch office platform. "After conducting extensive research into alternatives for providing WAFS capabilities in our product line, we selected DiskSites technology as it is cutting edge and enterprise-ready. The DiskSites software has been proven easy to integrate, and its team is great to work with. In choosing DiskSites, Expand is able to be first to market with a fully-integrated, multi-service WAN-Optimized Virtual Branch Server supporting WAN Optimization, Application Acceleration, WAFS as well as branch level services," commented Amir Chitayat, President of Expand Networks. "We have a number of our customers rolling out this innovative solution - and we have been seeing excellent results," he observed.

"This offering empowers the distributed organization to manage both the business and IT challenges of a growing, open global enterprise. We are pleased to add Expand to our growing list of OEM partners," Shaked concluded.

About DiskSites

DiskSites brings the resources of the data center to users at geographically distributed offices, providing remote optimized application delivery solutions that reduce the cost of branch office IT. Our products eliminate the need to maintain and administer file, print, DHCP and DNS servers, storage and tape sub-systems at remote locations while also ensuring that remote users have direct access to centralized data. Available as an appliance-based product or through a software license, DiskSites dramatically reduces both the IT footprint and the total cost of ownership for global Fortune 2000 corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and other distributed organizations. Our leading VBranch solution provides wide area file services and branch level services, simplifying network administration, increasing data integrity and ensuring access to the right resources while protecting the security of enterprise information.

For more information about DiskSites, please call 760-438-3399, email [e-mail] or visit www.disksites.com

About Expand

Expand Networks is a leading provider of application acceleration solutions. By offering multiple WAN services integrated into a scalable platform - the Accelerator, Expand improves application performance over the WAN to enhance the remote user's experience. Deployed in over 1,200 customers networks', including Motorola, Hitachi Capital, Continental Airlines and the United States Department of Defense, Expand supports key IT initiatives including: server and data center consolidation; migration to webified applications; server-based computing; VoIP implementation; MPLS service deployment; and disaster recovery. Expand provides investment insurance by leveraging a Linux-based open architecture that allows seamless integration with new organic or third-party application acceleration services. Expand Networks is headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey with offices in Australia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, United Kingdom and throughout the United States. To learn more, visit www.expand.com or call [phone].