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ECRIX VXA-1 TAPE DRIVE OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED FOR LINUX OS

Ecrix Passes Certification Program Sponsored by Enhanced Software Technologies

Boulder, CO - November 15, 1999 - Continuing its commitment to the fast-growing Linux market, Ecrix Corporation today announced that the VXA-1 tape drive has been officially certified to operate under the Linux operating system. The Linux Tape Drive Certification Program (www.linuxtapecert.org) is sponsored and administered by Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc., the developer of BRU™ Backup & Restore Utility, the #1 award winning backup solution for Linux systems.

"Our VXA tape storage technology is a natural fit with the high-quality, low-cost Linux culture," said Kelly Beavers, president of Ecrix. "We are also very pleased that EST has taken the leadership role in providing a vendor neutral certification program for tape technologies under Linux. This certification and VXA's unique technology assures customers that the VXA-1 is the best choice in tape drives for Linux users."

"From the time we first saw the VXA technology, we were excited about its availability for the Linux marketplace," said Ted Cook, President and CEO of EST. "Ecrix is responsive to the opportunity that Linux presents, and Linux users now have an additional, cost effective choice for their tape backup."

The Linux Tape Drive Certification program is designed to test and certify tape drive manufacturers' devices under the Linux operating system. The compliance testing and certification process is run in an automated test environment to ensure all devices are tested equally and fairly. EST will be providing the VXA-1 test results at http://www.linuxtapecert.org in addition to the test scripts that can be downloaded from the site.

The VXA-1 Tape Drive
Based on Ecrix's groundbreaking VXA technology, the VXA-1 tape drive delivers major advances over conventional tape technology, offering users unprecedented data restore capabilities with 66GB of capacity and 6 MB/second transfer rate. With a manufacturers suggested retail price of $899, the VXA-1 tape drive is the unquestionable price/performance leader in the market.

The VXA Advantage
VXA technology is based on three complementary innovations: Discrete Packet Format™ (DPF), Variable Speed Operation™ (VSO), and OverScan Operation™ (OSO). DPF enables data to be written and read in individually addressed packets, a technology similar to that already proven in the networking and Internet markets. VSO saves time by continually adjusting tape speed to match the varying data throughput of the server, eliminating a common streaming tape problem known as "backhitching." OSO is a technique for reading data packets independent of track shape or geometry. By overscanning data packets at variable tape speeds, VXA virtually guarantees data restore.

About Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc.
Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc., is a privately held corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona. Known for both product excellence and outstanding customer support, EST is the developer of BRU™ Backup & Restore Utility, the #1 award winning backup solution for Linux systems. EST has been continuously developing BRU for the Unix market since 1985 and for Linux since 1994.

EST also publishes QuickStart Data Rescue™, the PC crash recovery utility that supports most x86 PC operating systems. EST is a corporate sponsor of Linux International, and is the sponsor of the Linux Tape Drive Certification Program (http://www.linuxtapecert.org). Contact EST at PH: 800.998.8649 or 602.470.1115, FAX 602.470.1116, E-mail: info@estinc.com or on the Web at: http://www.estinc.com.

About Ecrix
Ecrix Corporation is an innovator in tape storage and the developer of VXA, a breakthrough tape technology that features advanced backup and restore capabilities in products that deliver market leading price/performance and reliability. Ecrix is privately held and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. For more information about Ecrix, please visit the company's web site at http://www.ecrix.com or telephone 303.402.9262. More detailed information about VXA technology is available at http://www.vxatape.com.

VXA, Discrete Packet Format, Variable Speed Operation, and OverScan Operation are trademarks of Ecrix Corporation. All other trademarks, trade names, registered trademarks, or registered trade names are property of their respective holders.

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