Cluster Computing:

HPC PIONEERS TO CREATE LINUX DATABASE CLUSTERING SOLUTION

Metapa Inc., a leading provider of high-performance analytics infrastructure, announced that it has acquired Didera Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia, a Linux database clustering company. This acquisition expands Metapa's capability to enable customers to capitalize on the economic and performance advantages of open-source technology platforms for business intelligence applications. In conjunction with this acquisition Metapa closed an additional $3.7 million in funding which will be used for expanded product development and increased marketing and sales efforts. SoundView Ventures, an original investor in Metapa, led the round with new investors Hudson Ventures and Royal Wulff Ventures participating. The combined companies have raised more than $20 million to date.

"To date, corporations have not been able to fully leverage the benefits of commodity computing platforms within the world of business intelligence, where data volumes are enormous and growing rapidly," said Dave Powell, CEO and president. "With the acquisition of Didera we are expanding our offerings on the Linux platform by providing innovative database clustering technology with unparalleled performance and scalability at a much lower price."

This transaction brings together some of the industry's leading technologists and executives in the area of high-performance computing and distributed systems. Highlights of past experience include:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather forecasting supercomputer, the world's first production Linux-based high performance computing system
• Allstate's 14,000-node distributed application processing system, deployed throughout every regional office across the country
• Digital Domain's clustered rendering system for major feature films such as Titanic and Apollo 13
• Cable & Wireless' global content delivery network, one of the industry's largest distributed caching infrastructures.

Metapa is currently providing high-end analytics solutions to some of the world's largest service providers and financial services firms. General availability for Metapa's database clustering offering is expected in early 2004.

"Metapa represents the unique combination of some of the world's foremost authorities in high-performance Linux computing, along with experienced executive leadership in performance and availability management for mission critical enterprise computing," said Nick Rini, former CEO of Didera. "Metapa is in a tremendous position to transform the economics of business intelligence, and help customers make faster, more accurate decisions," said Rini.

According to Gartner, Linux-based server shipments are expected to double in 2003 to more than 800,000 units, and Linux is the fastest growing server operating system worldwide. By 2008 Linux server shipments are projected to exceed 1.5 million or 20% CAGR. Metapa's offerings are specifically designed to help companies take advantage of the price and performance advantages of Linux.