SCIENCE

LOUISVILLE, CO -- StorageTek(R) (Storage Technology Corp.), (NYSE: STK), has joined with other leaders of the storage networking industry as a charter member of the Storage Networking Industry Association's (SNIA) Supported Solutions Forum (SSF). This newly formed initiative, announced last month, aims to develop multi-vendor storage networking solutions that are jointly qualified and mutually supported. It has been widely heralded by analysts as a major step forward in facilitating the enterprise-wide deployment of storage network solutions. As a member of the SSF, StorageTek will continue to work with other key companies, including competitors, to enter joint support agreements and to qualify StorageTek products in open, heterogeneous storage networks. Establishing this level of tested and supported interoperability through the SNIA SSF helps clear the way for customers to implement storage networking solutions that offer greater flexibility in technology choices and reduced risk when integrating complex systems. A key component of the SSF is the creation of a cooperative support community of SNIA members to facilitate joint support and provide customers with a more streamlined support chain when handling customer service issues in highly heterogeneous storage networks. StorageTek has always demonstrated a commitment to interoperability. In addition to supporting the SSF, StorageTek actively pursues vendor certifications on its products. "We are dedicated to ensuring StorageTek solutions can be seamlessly deployed and maintained in heterogeneous environments," said Jill Kenney, StorageTek vice president, Worldwide Marketing and Strategy. "In addition to our certification programs and our involvement in the SNIA SSF, StorageTek maintains an onsite state-of-the-art testing facility where we continually ensure interoperability with our partners' products." The Supported Solutions Forum will promote customer adoption of storage networking solutions by registering configurations that are jointly qualified and supported by SSF members. The Supported Solutions Forum complements the drive to open standards and builds on top of the many interoperability activities underway in the industry by: -- Establishing an industry-wide cooperative support community of SNIA members -- Increasing the functionality and thereby the return on investment that can be achieved by deploying enterprise-class storage network solutions -- Accelerating customer implementation of open and supported storage networking solutions "StorageTek has been a voting member of the SNIA since its inception," said Brad Stamas, StorageTek director, Storage Domain Management and SNIA board member. "We are delighted to see other players in the industry join StorageTek at the SSF in recognizing the importance of enhancing product interoperability." For more information visit www.storagetek.com or www.snia.org