SYSTEMS

REDMOND, WA -- Hitachi Data Systems (NYSE:HIT), a leading provider of complete IT solutions, and Advanced Digital Information Corporation (Nasdaq:ADIC), a leading provider of Intelligent Storage(TM) systems, today announced the signing of a distribution agreement which will add ADIC(R) storage network products to Hitachi SAN solutions. Under terms of the agreement, Hitachi will offer ADIC Gateway storage network connectivity and management platforms as part of its integrated solutions throughout Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Canada. Addition of the Gateway technology will allow simplified integration of legacy hosts and high performance backup systems into storage networks. It will also provide SAN management tools designed to speed up system installation and increase security and manageability. "New storage networking technologies are increasingly important for our customers' rapidly growing data centers," said Tom Zack, Vice President of Product Marketing & Management for Asia Pacific, Latin America & Canada for Hitachi Data Systems. "IT departments need to combine the latest storage technologies with robust data protection solutions, and they want to integrate existing platforms into their new systems to help preserve the value of their investment. ADIC's Gateway technology enables us to easily address these concerns by providing high performance, any-to-any connectivity for all hosts and storage devices, as well as innovative embedded management services. The Gateway platform helps us deliver consolidated solutions regardless of the diversity of technology present at an installation." "The rapid pace of change in the storage landscape means that customers need solutions that embrace a wide range of the latest technologies and that are easy to install, manage, and maintain," said Bill Britts, ADIC Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Hitachi has shown leadership in its development of innovative, high performance storage systems and in its commitment to providing management features that make their systems easier to manage and grow. ADIC's Gateway technology is designed to make it easy to integrate a broader range of technologies into Hitachi solutions, and to provide complementary management services. This combination provides an important new total solution for IT departments faced with rapidly growing data." ADIC's Gateway is a high-performance, protocol-aware storage network connectivity and management platform. It delivers simultaneous support for heterogeneous systems, storage devices and operating systems. The Gateway makes it easy to integrate legacy hosts and storage into systems built around high performance Hitachi Fibre Channel RAID arrays, as well as to connect high performance backup products. The Gateway also features a sophisticated array of security and management services that provide integrated diagnostics, security, and easy-to-use views for managing connectivity. Mr. Zack said, "One of the benefits of the ADIC solutions is the tightly integrated suite of built in management tools. These tools provide administrators with a view of everything connected in the storage network. The result is a powerful resource that simplifies setup, diagnosis and day-to-day system oversight." For more information visit www.hds.com