Network Appliance Introduces New High-Performance Architecture for Delivery of Internet Traffic.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 1999--

NetCache(TM) to Integrate NetNews and Microsoft Windows Media

Technologies 4

Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTAP), a leading provider of dedicated cache appliances for building the Internet's infrastructure, today announced NetCache 4.0, a high-performance architecture to deliver Internet traffic.

NetCache 4.0 supports Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) and provides a platform to integrate Microsoft Windows Media Technologies and other emerging Internet protocols natively into the NetCache appliance.

NetCache appliances provide critical and transparent network infrastructure that enable ISPs and enterprises to improve Internet performance, minimize bandwidth costs and scale network and server infrastructure by intelligently moving Internet content, such as Windows Media and NetNews, closer to end users.

"NetCache appliances meet ISP and enterprise needs by delivering a rapid and cost-effective way to cache popular types of Internet content," said Tom Mendoza, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Network Appliance. "NetCache can deliver reductions in network congestion by over 50 percent. In addition, the new NetCache architecture will provide a scalable, high-performance platform to support new Internet protocols including Microsoft Windows Media Technologies, marking an important milestone in the Microsoft strategic partnership we announced in April."

"NetCache's Windows Media-enabled caching appliance is one of the critical technologies for ISPs and corporate IT environments to realize the next-generation Web with digital media," said Will Poole, General Manager, Marketing and Business Development, Streaming Media Division, Microsoft Corp. "Just as caching of static data and images has for years been so critical in reducing network congestion and increasing the performance of the Web, Windows Media-enabled caching will increase digital media's speed and transmission quality to meet the exploding demand facing ISPs and enterprise networks."

NetCache NetNews Caching Solution

NetCache 4.0 supports the caching of NetworkNews ("NetNews") based on the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP). The popularity of NetNews, Internet discussion groups including Usenet, is driving ISPs to deploy new caching architectures to manage and accelerate NNTP content.

NetCache 4.0 helps ISPs and enterprises to consolidate the management of NetNews by reducing new server hardware requirements, easing NetNews administrative burdens, minimizing bandwidth costs and improving client response times.

The NetCache Appliance

The NetCache appliance ships with support for all forms of standard Internet traffic including HTTP, FTP and NNTP and enabling protocols such as Web Cache Control Protocol (WCCP). Current NetCache customers can upgrade to NetCache 4.0 through their NetApp software licensing program. For additional product and pricing information, contact Network Appliance directly (new sales inquiries call 800/443-4537; current customers call 888/2-NETAPP).

NetCache appliances cache the Internet backbone in several countries, including Australia, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, South Africa and the U.K., as well as cache Internet traffic for leading corporations such as Ford Motor Company, Nokia, SAIC, PSINet, Tripod and theglobe.com.

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance, a veteran in network file serving and caching, has been providing data access solutions since 1992. Major corporations and ISPs, including Lycos, Yahoo!, Citicorp Securities, Siemens, Lockheed, Cisco, Motorola and Texas Instruments have deployed NetApp(R) solutions. NetApp's Internet caching solutions (NetCache appliances) and file servers ("filers") deliver fast, simple, reliable and cost-effective access to network-stored data and enable simultaneous shared file services for UNIX(R), Windows(R) and the World Wide Web.

The company pioneered the concept of the "network appliance," an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. Network Appliance filers and NetCache appliances are based on the Company's innovative data access software known as Data ONTAP(TM), patented WAFL file system and standards-compliant hardware. More information is available at: http://www.netapp.com.

NetApp is a registered trademark of Network Appliance, Inc. in the US and other countries. NetCache and WAFL are registered trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the European Union and trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the US. Network Appliance and Data ONTAP are US trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.