SBS Technologies Introduces Low-Cost Dual PMC Carrier Board for PICMG 2.16 and Standard CompactPCI; Allows Easy Mixing of I/O and CPUs on Custom Blade Designs.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 2003

SBS Technologies (Nasdaq:SBSE)

-- Two PMC sites at 33/66 MHz, 32/64-bit

-- Flexible PICMG 2.16 Ethernet connection from PMC sites to J3 connector

-- Intel (R) 21555 non-transparent CPCI bridge and advanced IPMI

-- CPCI peripheral operation

Adding to its growing portfolio of modular, low-cost and highly-flexible communications products, SBS Technologies(R) (Nasdaq:SBSE), a leading provider of embedded computing technology, today introduced Blade Runner 500, a dual PMC PICMG 2.16 compliant carrier board for 6U CompactPCI. Blade Runner 500 is designed for easy mixing of CPUs and I/O interfaces and is ideal for a wide variety of high-density applications such as edge access devices, routers, soft switch applications and storage area networks based on standard CPCI or PICMG 2.16 specifications.

A carrier card is a simple, off-the-shelf option for designers who want to maximize their performance alternatives, minimize expense, and ensure their ability to change interfaces or manage incremental upgrades into the future. Today's systems designers are looking for embedded products like carrier cards, which allow them to quickly develop PMC-based solutions using different levels of processing power and connecting with different network interfaces. By adding a modular processor and/or I/O interface, Blade Runner 500 can scale and evolve with a wide variety of applications.

"Our customers are looking for modular, scalable, and interoperable products so they can build their systems quickly and easily, while focusing on bringing innovative applications to market," said Dan Moore, President of SBS Technologies' Communications and Enterprise Group. "Blade Runner 500 is a simple solution for customers making legacy upgrades or building dynamic new systems with a variety of I/O and power requirements."

Fully hot-swappable, Blade Runner 500 makes it easy to change out or upgrade CPUs or I/O cards without replacing the carrier card, which can accommodate either two I/O cards, one I/O and one CPU card, or two CPU cards. Using the SBS Palomar 1000 DFX with two processors per PrPMC, Blade Runner 500 can manage up to four CPUs. SBS also offers a comprehensive portfolio of I/O interfaces, including ATM, OC-3, T1/E1, Gigabit Ethernet, and Fibre Channel.

Blade Runner 500's two 64-bit PMC sites are capable of running at up to 66 MHz and both offer a flexible PICMG 2.16 Ethernet connection via the J3 connector. The board also features the Intel(R) 21555 non-transparent bridge and advanced IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface). The IMPI is used to monitor a system's health and provide information necessary for system management and recovery. The 21555 PCI-to-PCI bridge supports PCI Power Management, Vital Product Data (VPD) and CompactPCI Distributed Hot Swap. It also supports asynchronous operation between the primary and secondary interfaces, and it includes an I20 message unit for communications between Blade Runner 500 and the system controller.

Pricing & Availability

OEM volume pricing is under $1,000. Blade Runner 500 is available now.

About SBS Technologies

SBS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SBSE), founded in 1986, designs and builds open architecture embedded computer products that enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to serve the commercial, communications, enterprise, and government markets. SBS products are integrated into a variety of applications, including communication networking, medical imaging, industrial automation, and military systems. The portfolio includes an extensive line of CPU boards, computer interconnections, avionics, telemetry, and fully integrated systems and enclosures. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, SBS maintains eight primary operating locations, has regional sales offices throughout the United States and has international sales offices in four countries. More information on SBS is available at www.sbs.com.

This new product announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning SBS' product strategy, technology capability, competitive leadership, and product capabilities. These statements reflect the perspectives and expectations of SBS management as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risk factors, including sales and product strategy within SBS; changes in the general economy and in SBS' business, including disruptions of cash flow that may impact investment in research and development activities; changes in demand for SBS' products; the impact of rapid technological and market change; availability of qualified personnel; and other risk factors listed from time to time in SBS' SEC reports, including those listed under "Risk Factors" in SBS' Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports.