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EqualLogic's PS Series is First iSCSI SAN to Achieve Microsoft Windows Simple SAN Solution Designation

EqualLogic Announces Firmware Version 2.3 and Windows Integration Kit to Support Complete Integration with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

Nashua, N.H., February 14, 2006 - EqualLogic, the leading provider of complete, intelligent iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions, announced today the immediate availability of Version 2.3 of its PS Series array firmware and a Windows Integration Kit that enables the most advanced, seamless integration with Windows Server 2003 R2. This latest development in EqualLogic's goal to provide the best SAN solution for Windows environments resulted in Microsoft awarding the PS Series family the Simple SAN Solution designation - the most comprehensive level of Microsoft's Simple SAN program. This makes EqualLogic the first iSCSI SAN vendor to be certified as a Simple SAN Solution.

In support of Microsoft's Universal Distributed Storage Vision - a major initiative designed to simplify the deployment and operation of consolidated storage in Windows environments - EqualLogic has partnered with Microsoft to synchronize the PS Series with the storage features of Windows Server 2003 R2, including the new Storage Manager for SANs. EqualLogic's PS Series family is fully compatible with Windows Server platforms and is designed to complement Microsoft's storage technologies such as the Microsoft iSCSI Software Architecture, Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), Microsoft Multi-Path Input/Output (MPIO), Microsoft Cluster Services, and Microsoft Virtual Disk Service (VDS), which enables Storage Manager for SANs.

In addition to its Windows Server 2003 R2 support, the PS Series firmware Version 2.3 implements a wide range of performance enhancements and enables automatic "e-mail home" capability for immediate customer support.

"EqualLogic has extended its leading storage capabilities to create a SAN solution for customers that do not require prior knowledge of the technology or configuration," said John Joseph, vice president of marketing for EqualLogic. "The end result is a simpler solution that takes minutes to install instead of hours, allowing IT administrators across all vertical industries to take advantage of easy-to-deploy, enterprise-class consolidated storage."

"With storage growing 60 to 100 percent per year, companies of all sizes are in need of solutions that provide simpler, more efficient operation," said Claude Lorenson, group product manager in the Windows Server Division at Microsoft. "EqualLogic's coordination with Microsoft technologies provides all Microsoft Windows customers a highly intuitive storage experience that meets the demand for simplicity and integration with the Windows Server 2003 family."

EqualLogic customer Mesirow Financial connects all of its primary Microsoft Windows servers to the PS Series SAN and recently tested Windows Server 2003 R2 with EqualLogic's latest firmware and Windows Integration Kit. "Being such a large Windows shop, I am grateful to have a storage vendor like EqualLogic that is dedicated to making its solution a seamless part of my Microsoft environment," said Jay Walusek, vice president of server administration at Mesirow Financial. "With the PS Series SAN, we are able to take advantage of the storage functionality in Windows Server 2003 R2, and EqualLogic's Windows Integration Kit makes it is easier than ever to setup, manage and grow my server and storage infrastructure."

EqualLogic, a certified Microsoft Gold Partner, has been leading the way in deploying iSCSI SAN solutions throughout Windows environments since its founding in 2001. In addition to its Simple SAN Solution designation and Windows Server 2003 R2 integration, EqualLogic PS Series arrays offer full integration with Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2006.

EqualLogic's award-winning and data-center-proven PS Series is the only native iSCSI SAN solution to offer a comprehensive and fully integrated standard feature set at no additional cost. Each PS Series storage array comes with fully redundant fault-tolerant hardware and includes full-featured automatic storage-management software in a self-contained chassis. Multiple arrays can be combined to form a scalable enterprise storage grid of more than 100 terabytes.

About EqualLogic

EqualLogic®, Inc., is the leading provider of iSCSI-based, all-inclusive storage area network (SAN) solutions that enable businesses - from Fortune 500 to small and mid-size organizations - to realize the economic benefits of consolidated, self-managing storage. The company's flagship product, the PeerStorage® Array 100E, is the industry's first automatic storage platform that delivers operational simplicity, functional integration, and high data availability in a single, scalable pool of storage. EqualLogic's headquarters are located in Nashua, N.H. For more information, please visit http://www.equallogic.com


EqualLogic® is a registered trademark of EqualLogic®, Inc. Other marks belong to their respective owners.

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