XIOtech Announces Support for Novell's SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 on Magnitude 3D.

Business Editors

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2004

XIOtech Corporation, a storage networking innovator, today announced support for Novell's SUSE(R) LINUX(R) Enterprise Server 8 on Magnitude 3D(TM). Magnitude 3D is the optimum solution for Novell Linux-based environments that require enterprise-class SANs that are affordable and easy to manage, delivering the storage industry's lowest total cost of ownership (TCO). XIOtech(R) will be demonstrating Magnitude 3D at Novell BrainShare, from March 22nd - 24th in booth P100, at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, UT.

Novell Linux enterprises benefit from the dramatically increased uptime and resilience, configuration flexibility, immediate scale, and reduced TCO achieved through clustered architectures. However, enterprises deploying such clustered Novell solutions with traditional storage area networks (SANs) have had to contend with static, single-chassis storage systems that limit flexibility and resilience, while increasing cost and complexity.

Launched in August 2003, Magnitude 3D delivers the industry's first distributed clustered architecture for storage area networking. Magnitude 3D's innovative architecture applies the benefits of clustered computing to SANs while eliminating the complexity traditionally associated with SAN management, delivering the lowest TCO in the storage industry. In a recent study by Enterprise Management Associates, Magnitude 3D was proven to provide a customer 770% ROI in the first year after installation, 2130% after three years, and a payback period of just seven weeks.

When combined with clustered Novell NetWare(R) or Linux servers, Magnitude 3D further enhances resilience and scale, while reducing complexity at the server layer thanks to Zero Server Footprint(TM) - a unique capability that eliminates the need for complex and costly software to connect servers to storage. Consequently, Novell administrators can upgrade or add clustered servers with zero downtime and minimal complexity, reducing server management costs by a factor of two or more.

"Running Novell Linux servers on Magnitude 3D creates a clustered computing infrastructure that is simple to manage, highly resilient, and cost effective," said Alain Andreoli, CEO of XIOtech. "Our support of SUSE LINUX is an example of our commitment to develop innovative storage solutions for Novell environments."

"Magnitude 3D's clustered architecture enhances the resilience and scalability of enterprise networks," said Ed Anderson, vice president of marketing for Novell's Nterprise Platform Services group. "With SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 and Magnitude 3D, customers will be able to easily manage their networks' data storage at reduced TCO."

Support for SUSE LINUX is the latest development in XIOtech's ongoing partnership with Novell. In September 2003, Magnitude 3D was one of the first SANs to complete "YES, Tested and Approved" certification with Novell's new operating system, NetWare 6.5, and Novell Cluster Services(TM) 1.7. XIOtech is also a Premier Partner for Novell Users International (NUI) and a Platinum Sponsor for the annual BrainShare conference. XIOtech is working toward full certification for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 on Magnitude 3D.

About XIOtech:

Founded with the express goal of blending storage technology innovation with enhanced usability, XIOtech challenges the status quo of traditional storage networking design. XIOtech has continuously demonstrated technology leadership, chalking up an impressive array of innovations culminating in Magnitude 3D, the industry's first distributed clustered storage solution. Today, Magnitude 3D storage solutions continue to deliver on a fundamental XIOtech promise: enable customers to "do more with less." This demonstrated blend of innovation and usability led Magnitude 3D to recently win the silver award in the "Disk and Disk Subsystems" category of Storage and SearchStorage.com's 2003 Products of the Year Awards. In September 2003 XIOtech also won the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 Award--naming XIOtech as the fastest growing technology company in Minnesota with growth in excess of 4900% over the preceding 5 years.

Current customers and partners include Warner Bros., Merrill Lynch, Bechtel, Lucent, Hibernia Bank, and St. Vincent Hospital. XIOtech has also partnered with industry leaders such as Microsoft, Oracle, Novell, Cisco, VERITAS, Brocade, and QLogic. XIOtech is based in Eden Prairie, Minn. For more information, visit www.XIOtech.com, email [e-mail], or call toll free 1.866.472.6764.