EMC Maps Out Strategy For Heterogeneous Enterprise Storage Networks.

HOPKINTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1998--

Storage Leader Moves Customers Closer to the Vision of a

"Universal Data Tone"

EMC Corporation today detailed a comprehensive strategy for bringing the network to enterprise storage. Through development of the world's first open, heterogeneous enterprise storage networks, EMC is helping customers build a world in which a single pool of storage will handle all information storage requirements of even the largest, most complex organizations. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks will speed consolidation efforts; provide a fast, reliable infrastructure for the common management, protection and sharing of data across the enterprise; relieve network bottlenecks; and offer new dimensions in cost savings.

A dedicated network connecting multiple enterprise storage systems to all types of servers and their associated operating systems and applications, EMC Enterprise Storage Networks extend the benefits and capabilities of enterprise storage beyond the data center. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks make the promises of distributed computing a reality through the consolidation of dispersed storage resources, moving information that currently resides in far-flung departments and business units to the data center while giving customers the option to keep servers -- and applications -- close to the user.

"EMC is bringing the network to enterprise storage," said Michael C. Ruettgers, EMC President and CEO. "By extending the information protection, management and sharing attributes of EMC Enterprise Storage across all data within and outside the data center, we are dramatically increasing the amount of information an organization can access and use. Consolidation of data across the network onto EMC Enterprise Storage takes The EMC Effect to a new level, offering a single view of enterprise-wide information that can be converted into business value by every division and every business process."

Proliferation of EMC Enterprise Storage Networks will bring EMC customers around the world closer to EMC's vision of a Universal Data Tone. With Universal Data Tone, information is as accessible as electricity, constantly updated, easily found and shared, and available for re-use and regeneration for multiple purposes. "Universal dial tone was the concept that transformed the telephone from an interesting invention to a successful global phenomenon. Today, the same principles are driving the rapid proliferation of enterprise storage," Ruettgers said.

A Comprehensive Approach

To implement this vision, EMC will incorporate enterprise storage software functionality at three levels: enterprise storage systems, network components and heterogeneous servers. Development and integration of these technologies will result from EMC's vast investments in software, extensive interoperability testing, and deep alliances with hardware and software partners.

On the storage level, EMC will continue to lead the market through its unique ability to impact the way enterprise storage systems manage, protect and share information. EMC also will integrate software functionality on the network level to monitor, manage and control components that reside on the storage network (e.g., hubs, switches, etc). Finally, EMC will incorporate additional software to increase server-based application performance and availability through tight integration with all resources on the storage network.

Ruettgers added, "As networking and storage architectures converge, EMC will continue to offer customers the most open enterprise storage network solution. EMC pioneered network storage with heterogeneous connectivity. With EMC Enterprise Storage Networks, we're extending this capability across the network. Every day we prove that EMC continues to maintain its multi-year lead in building the technology, enterprise storage and network expertise, and partnerships required to deliver the most flexible and open information storage solutions. Through these efforts, EMC is leading the way toward a Universal Data Tone on which customers can rely, regardless of their disparate hardware and software platforms."

According to the Meta Group, of Stamford, Conn., EMC's Enterprise Storage Network strategy closely reflects trends Meta sees in the emerging storage network model. "Future shared storage devices will attach to a network fabric, not individual servers," said Carl Greiner, Meta's Vice President and Director, Enterprise Data Center Strategies. "This will enable better availability; greater aggregate bandwidth; performance scalability with clusters; and any-to any communications. Software and interoperability testing for heterogeneous and continuous operations will be required by vendors and users for successful enterprise shared storage network solutions."

Not All Storage Networks Are Created Equal

"As new Fibre Channel network devices make their way to market, the bottom line for customers remains constant -- not all storage networks are created equal. For storage networks to perform on the enterprise level, customers will need significantly more than Fibre Channel network components and disk arrays," said Jim Rothnie, EMC's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Technical Officer. "Vital elements of true enterprise storage networks include platform-independent storage systems; centralized management software; tested interoperability; robust online storage-to-storage data movement; storage-based security; and data center class support."

EMC has built the relationships and technical infrastructure on all levels of its Enterprise Storage Network strategy to optimize its Symmetrix systems to work with all data types. For example, interoperability testing is essential for smooth operations and for the flexibility to make changes in a networked environment. EMC has taken on the role of interoperability testing for all major server and network components to ensure that EMC Enterprise Storage Network users will realize all the information protection, management and sharing benefits of EMC Enterprise Storage.

Customers need continuous and protected access to information today, regardless of where it resides or on what platform. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks offer universal data access for multiple heterogeneous servers across any combination of SCSI, Fibre Channel and ESCON technologies. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks also incorporate robust fault tolerance for continuous and secure data access; enterprise scalability to add application servers and storage capacity on demand; and centralized software for secure management, protection and sharing of data on the network. To ensure successful implementation, EMC offers customers dedicated storage professional services for the design and implementation of heterogeneous enterprise storage environments and the world's most capable product support service, as demonstrated through independent customer satisfaction surveys.

EMC Corporation, a Fortune 500 company based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, is the world's technology and market leader in the rapidly growing market for intelligent enterprise storage systems, software and services. The company's products store, retrieve, manage, protect and share information from all major computing environments, including UNIX, Windows NT and mainframe platforms. The company has offices worldwide, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EMC, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. For further information about EMC and its storage solutions, EMC's corporate web site can be accessed at http://www.EMC.com.

EMC and Symmetrix are registered trademarks and EMC Enterprise Storage is a trademark of EMC Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains statements about new products and future strategies that are "forward-looking statements" under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to: component quality and availability, transition to new products, the uneven pattern of quarterly results, changes in business conditions, changes in EMC's sales strategy and product development plans, changes in the data storage (or internet services) marketplace, competition in the data storage (or internet services) market(s), competitive pricing pressures, continued acceptance of EMC's products, delays in the development of new technology, changes in customer buying patterns, Year 2000 issues, one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.