Features - Storage Innovations:

HIGH-PERFORMANCE APPLIANCE ENABLES NAS/SAN INTEGRATION

MaXXan Systems Inc, a leading developer of next-generation storage networking infrastructure, and VERITAS Software Corporation, one of the storage industry's leading software providers, have announced the general availability of the MaXXan SG100 Storage Gateway powered by VERITAS NAS software for Linux.

"The VERITAS Powered program ensures that the same industry-leading software capability available today from VERITAS is delivered on the next-generation of storage networking platforms, such as MaXXan's SG100 system," said Mark Bregman, executive vice president of product operations at VERITAS Software.

"Through VERITAS Powered, we are committed to supporting Linux software-based appliances. VERITAS' software capabilities combined with MaXXan's intelligent hardware platform offer customers a powerful integrated solution to reduce their costs of investment and administration."

The SG100 is the first product delivered by MaXXan as part of the VERITAS Powered program and is designed to accelerate the convergence of NAS and SAN environments in the data center. The system embeds VERITAS NAS software with MaXXan high-performance I/O optimized hardware platform, delivering an easy-to-deploy solution.

"One option storage administrators are pursuing to get more out of their investment in Fibre Channel SAN technology is the addition of a NAS gateway that allows data accessibility to a broader range of servers and applications," explained John Webster, senior analyst, Data Mobility Group. "Having the NAS gateway software pre-loaded and pre-configured simplifies installation and maintenance of this kind of solution."

"We are excited to partner with VERITAS Software and to help customers leverage their current investments to get more out of their unutilized disk capacity. Our Storage Gateway offers the benefits of a NAS appliance that can easily integrate with their existing SAN environments," said Vic Mahadevan, chief executive officer of MaXXan Systems. "The innovative SG100 based on industry's first storage optimized server blade provides exceptional investment protection and the ability to migrate to the MaXXan MXV intelligent switch platform. Companies that purchase our Storage Gateway will now have a unique opportunity to build NAS clusters and scale their NAS environments as their needs dictate."

About MaXXan's SG100 Storage Gateway

The MaXXan SG100 Storage Gateway is a cost-effective way for end-users to leverage their investments in block-oriented storage systems for their file-oriented requirements. The system is optimized for I/O performance and implements dual Intel Xeon processors, four PCI-X buses, up to 12 GB of memory, ten 2-Gb fibre channel ports, two 1-Gb Ethernet ports, and additional ports for heartbeat, management and application-specific requirements. The VERITAS NAS software is based on industry-leading VERITAS File System and VERITAS Volume Manager technology running in an embedded Linux operating environment. The pre-installed software makes implementation and management simple for customers. The SG100 is available in both standalone and cluster-ready configurations.

Pricing and Availability

The MaXXan SG100 Storage Gateway is currently shipping to selected resellers in the United States and Canada at an MSRP beginning at US$44,600.

About MaXXan Systems Inc

MaXXan Systems Inc is delivering next-generation networking infrastructure technologies to customers organizations deploying large-scale storage networks. MaXXan's intelligent products bring simplicity, scalability, and performance to heterogeneous storage networks while protecting customers' investments. The Company's next-generation networking solutions offer unprecedented enterprise-class features and simplify the deployment and management of today's complex storage networks. For more information call 866-4-MAXXAN or visit the Company's Web site at www.MaXXan.com.