News release

Compaq StorageWorks Reinvents Enterprise Storage

In a much-anticipated move that will redefine the classical definition of "enterprise storage," Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) has added two new solutions to the StorageWorks™ family that promise to reinvent enterprise storage and render obsolete the traditional monolithic storage products sold during the past decade.

With the introduction of these revolutionary new solutions, Compaq fulfills major aspects of its ENSA and ENSA-2 strategies, bringing to market the concepts of Virtually Boundless Storage and Universal Network Storage. These concepts are realized through two major advances: the StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array, a high-end, enterprise-class storage system that sets the new benchmark for storage performance and functionality; and the StorageWorks NAS Executor, a top-of-the-line, enterprise-class NAS storage system that integrates NAS and SAN architectures by utilizing a virtualized SAN to store NAS data along with traditional SAN data. Both products incorporate key aspects of Compaq's award-winning VersaStor Virtualization Technology to deliver maximum operational savings for enterprise network storage customers.

Today's storage needs require a new paradigm designed to enable strategic growth platforms and applications, rich media optimization, global storage networking, NAS-SAN fusion and simplified management. Both the StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array [called "Enterprise"] and the StorageWorks NAS Executor were designed from the ground up to meet these needs, enabling customers to surmount the challenges of the current business environment by extending and enhancing valuable IT resources.

"Enterprise is a major milestone in the fulfillment of the StorageWorks ENSA-2 vision unveiled this past August," said Mark Lewis, vice president and general manager of Compaq's Enterprise Storage Group. "It also marks the highly anticipated product debut of our VersaStor Technology, which we announced last year. Enterprise's innovative architecture allows businesses to control the costs of managing an ever-expanding storage pool. It also raises customer service levels by eliminating planned downtime for storage reconfigurations and backup windows. Furthermore, Compaq has now linked NAS and SAN to provide ubiquitous storage access. StorageWorks erases the line between NAS and SAN—instead of conflict and confusion over which is the better alternative, there is total fusion: SAN and NAS storage together, without boundaries. With these announcements, StorageWorks once again leads the storage industry in removing barriers to time, space and cost."

"Brocade is proud to support the introduction of yet another major advance in storage technology by Compaq," said Greg Reyes, chairman and CEO of Brocade Communications. "There's no doubt that the delivery of the Compaq Enterprise Virtual Array and NAS Executor marks a revolution in the way many will think about enterprise-class storage and the confluence of the NAS and SAN paradigms. Once again, Compaq has shown us the future of storage, and their vision is one that many customers are going to find very impressive and compelling."

For more information, please visit www.compaq.com/products/storageworks.

Compaq StorageWorks, the number one global storage solutions supplier, is the leader in the development and delivery of the enterprise SAN. Recognized for its vision and ability to execute, StorageWorks is committed to driving radical simplification and investment protection for enterprise and SMB customers. By continuing to extend its Enterprise Network Storage Architecture (ENSA) in key areas such as virtualization, automation, universal network storage and life cycle data management, StorageWorks enables customers to efficiently manage complex, mixed storage environments. More information on StorageWorks and SANworks solutions is available at www.compaq.com/storage.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation ("Compaq") is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, and desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200 countries. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.