April 19, 2006

Pillar Data Systems expands storage network offerings
~ resell agreements with Brocade and McDATA provide full range of multi-protocol networked storage options ~

Pillar Data Systems, a leading provider of enterprise network storage systems, today announced agreements with Brocade and McDATA that allow Pillar to resell full lines of storage networking products from both vendors.

Through these partnerships, Pillar customers can deploy end-to-end Storage Area Networks (SANs) that integrate Brocade and/or McDATA offerings. The Pillar Axiom will now integrate seamlessly with networking products, from entry level switches to enterprise directors and storage routers, to deliver advanced networked storage agility and performance.
“Companies deploying new storage systems want their partners to deliver a complete portfolio of supporting solutions, including the leading storage area networking offerings,” said Richard Villars, vice president of Storage Systems research at IDC. “With this announcement, Pillar Data Systems can offer customers a one-stop-shop for a full range of networked storage options that support its growing portfolio of advanced storage offerings.”

A versatile storage network backbone is one of the most critical components for assuring flexible networked storage in the enterprise, enabling customers to maximise the value of their distributed storage resources and achieve a more secure and functional SAN foundation. Interoperability with these networking solutions and support services extends the value of Pillar’s storage solutions to help customers better manage their heterogeneous storage infrastructure cost-effectively and non-disruptively.

“Our customers require SAN interoperability and the ability to work with a single partner like Pillar to assure seamless, flexible and reliable storage that grows with their business,” said Pat Clarke, vice president and general manager EMEA, Pillar Data Systems. “Pillar’s alliances with Brocade and McDATA broaden our solution set, enabling us to deliver to the market the most complete storage solutions on a single platform and ensure greater scalability and availability options for our customers’ storage networks.”
“Interoperability across the industry’s largest ecosystem of solution providers is a key part of Brocade’s commitment to the success of enterprise storage customers,” said Tom Buiocchi, vice president of worldwide marketing and support, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. “We are very pleased to team with Pillar to provide tested and validated connectivity solutions that meet customers’ requirements for scalable, manageable networked storage.”

“McDATA and Pillar share a commitment to delivering the highest quality solutions for enterprise storage environments,” said Raj Das, vice president, product marketing, McDATA Corporation. “Available directly from Pillar, McDATA Sphereon Switches and Intrepid Directors are fully compatible with Pillar’s Axiom storage system, providing customers with high-performance data protection solutions and the ability to consolidate and optimise the management and monitoring of their SAN infrastructures.”

For further information, visit: http://www.pillardata.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Pillar Data Systems
Founded in 2001, Pillar Data Systems develops enterprise network storage systems. The company’s Pillar Axiom solution, driven by its innovative policy-based management capabilities, integrates SAN and NAS into a centrally managed storage platform. Pillar Axiom systems consolidate multiple tiers of enterprise network storage into a single, easily managed system capable of scaling to hundreds of terabytes of capacity.

Pillar Data Systems is privately funded by Tako Ventures, LLC, the venture arm of Larry Ellison. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California with a development office in Longmont, Colorado. The EMEA headquarters is in Drogheda near Dublin, with initial operations across Ireland, UK, Germany and France.

Further information, please contact:
Katie Jamieson or James Mossman at LEWIS
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627
Email: katiej/jamesm@lewispr.com Web: www.lewispr.com