Features - Storage Innovations:

StoneFly DELIVERS COST-EFFECTIVE IP SANs TO WIN SERVER 2003

StoneFly Networks Inc, an innovator of Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage provisioning appliances, has announced support for the complete Microsoft Windows operating environment including Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, Windows XP, Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SQL Server. As part of its strengthened commitment to Microsoft Corp, StoneFly also completed testing with Microsoft's new iSCSI initiator, which is fully interoperable with StoneFly's Storage Concentrator family of IP-based storage provisioning appliances that enable real-time management and optimization of storage assets.

Ideally suited for Microsoft's enterprise-class and mid-tier customer base, StoneFly's Storage Concentrators leverage new storage functionality found in Microsoft Server 2003 to ease the migration and consolidation of servers and systems into centralized, highly intelligent storage area networks (SANs). When attached to Microsoft Cluster Server nodes within a Windows Server 2003 environment, StoneFly's Storage Concentrators provide high availability and scalability while reducing costs of managing mission-critical database and messaging applications.

"Windows Server 2003 embodies new and enhanced storage capabilities and features that promote improved data availability," said Zane Adam, Director of Product Management and Marketing of the Enterprise Storage Division at Microsoft Corp. "The Windows Server 2003 platform coupled with IP-based SAN technology from storage partners like StoneFly Networks will provide customers a robust, integrated solution for managing data and storage together."

One of the key feature advancements in Windows Server 2003 is Microsoft's optimization of cluster services for the use of economical SANs. According to Allen F. Yuhas, president and chief executive officer for StoneFly Networks, Windows Server 2003 offers a variety of opportunities for businesses of all sizes to drive down costs and increase productivity. "StoneFly shares Microsoft's vision of helping customers reduce hardware expenditures and administrative costs while improving performance and efficiency," he said. "StoneFly will continue to work closely with Microsoft to make affordable, manageable and reliable enterprise storage solutions more accessible to a broad spectrum of customers."

StoneFly's Storage Concentrators, which have been shipping into iSCSI installations since June 2002, currently are deployed at more than 60 customer sites nationwide, across key vertical markets including insurance, healthcare, education, government, financial services and manufacturing. In April 2003, the company announced the addition of the i2000 FailOver Cluster as part of its business continuity strategy to ensure that storage volumes are protected and continuously available. That same month, StoneFly completed compatibility testing with Microsoft's new iSCSI initiator. Slated for release in June 2003, Microsoft's iSCSI architecture support in Windows includes the Microsoft iSCSI Service and the Microsoft iSCSI software initiator. Microsoft's iSCSI support will be available via download from Microsoft's website for Microsoft's Windows 2000 servers and clients, Windows XP clients as well as the Windows Server 2003 product family.

StoneFly's i1500SC and i1500FS Storage Concentrators are available for $9,995 and $12,995, respectively, through the company's channel distribution partners and select resellers. In addition, Storage Concentrators i2000SC and i2000FS for parallel SCSI or Fibre Channel configurations are available, with pricing starting at $14,995, depending on configuration. StoneFly also offers complete Scalable IP SAN systems in a broad range of configurations beginning at 1TB, with pricing starting at $13,995.