New Quantum Px510 Re-Defines Data Center Tape Automation With Enterprise Features at a Price Point Well Below the Competition Tape Library Supports Tiered Storage and Consolidation Strategies With a Dense, Rackmount Building Block Approach Delivering Unsurpassed Flexibility and Value SAN JOSE, Calif., May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quantum Corp. (NYSE: DSS), a global leader in storage, today announced the PX510, a data center-class tape library designed to deliver unsurpassed customer value through an innovative enterprise feature set at a price point well below the competition. Designed to meet evolving customer needs in the growing, yet under-served 100-400 cartridge slot midrange automation market segment, the Quantum PX510 supports enterprise customers that are consolidating storage systems and combining disk- and tape-based solutions as a solid foundation in a tiered storage model. With the introduction of the PX510, Quantum has extended its leadership position of delivering the broadest set of backup, recovery and archive systems that can be used as flexible building blocks to optimize storage resources. The PX510 offers enterprise-class reliability, high-availability features, scalability and functionality comparable to Quantum's flagship PX720 enterprise library. While the PX720 is a freestanding system, the PX510 is packaged in an 18U rackmount form factor. The PX510 library is well positioned within Quantum's existing tape automation portfolio between the PX720, which offers up to 720 cartridge slots in a single frame and scales to five frames, and the modular, 100 slot M2500 tape library. "Quantum's PX510 tape library is designed to meet the needs of a growing midrange market which is in the midst of a wave of storage consolidation," said Brian Garrett, analyst for Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). "On-line, near-line and off-line information stores are bursting at the seams as increasing attention to corporate governance and compliance regulations drive the need for increased retention and reliability. With the PX510 tape library's innovative feature set and excellent value proposition, Quantum is demonstrating an aggressive go-to-market strategy in a well established channel. ESG expects the PX510 will delight customers and win market share." Over the past few years, the declines in the price of disk storage and the growth of virtual tape library (VTL) technology have received much industry attention. However, an even more compelling value proposition has emerged in the tape library market. The combination of increased tape cartridge capacity, increased cartridge slots per library and substantial decreases in library footprints have all combined to significantly reduce the price per gigabyte (GB) equation for customers as they seek the best combination of disk-based backup and tape automation as a foundation for a tiered storage strategy. Quantum has played a leading role in this shifting cost paradigm as a pioneer and leading VTL supplier and with its introduction of the PX720 enterprise library in late 2003. The new PX510 further embodies this paradigm shift, with a price per GB that is at least 80 percent less than that of comparable tape automation systems of just a few years ago. The PX510 delivers up to 160 terabytes (TB) in 18U, or more than five TB per rack unit. When combined with Quantum's DX-Series VTL systems and Optyon(TM) In-line Data Compression technology, the PX510 enables customers to maximize complementary disk and tape backup, recovery and archive performance and reliability with the flexibility to scale to hundreds of terabytes, while making best use of valuable rack space. Quantum's PX510 is aggressively setting the standard for value compared to competitive enterprise and midrange tape automation offerings from companies such as ADIC and StorageTek. As an example, a typical midrange customer implementation of the PX510 with five LTO-2 drives and 201 slots will be available at an MSRP of more than 40 percent below a competitive offering from StorageTek using the similarly-positioned SL500 library with five LTO-2 drives and 256 slots at a current MSRP. In addition to the price advantage of the PX510, it has a number of innovative features that set it apart from the competition and addresses customer consolidation and tiered storage strategies. Quantum's innovative and patent-pending FlexLink(TM) system is designed to allow customers to scale or descale the PX510 library on demand without a field service call and without bringing the library offline. Because the PX510 consists of independent modules, FlexLink does not require additional equipment or cables. Also, unlike competitive libraries such as the StorageTek SL500, customers implementing the PX510 are not penalized with a high-priced initial "base unit" and monolithic "master and slave" architecture when scaling which creates a single point of failure and cannot be redeployed once implemented. Quantum's FlexLink system allows customers to descale and redeploy PX510 modules, adapting as customers' storage needs change and, thereby, providing the flexibility to balance current needs with future requirements. "Quantum focused the design of the PX510 to meet changing customer needs within the growing midrange market, delivering a library system that is extremely flexible and setting a new standard for customer value in the industry," said Ted Oade, director of automation product marketing for Quantum's Storage Systems Business Unit. "Our research shows that more than one-third of customers reassign their automation investments in the first few years after purchase, so we knew it was critical that the PX510 not only provide pain-free scalability but also descale just as simply to achieve maximum long-term customer value." The PX510 is extremely dense at 18U per module, with up to 10 tape drives and 171 SDLT or 201 LTO cartridge slots and native performance per module of up to 2.9 TB per hour. The PX510 is shipped with high availability features such as redundant power supplies and fans, as well as hot-swappable tape drives as standard. Quantum also offers Web-based tools for remote management, diagnostics, upgrades and operations built into the PX510 at no additional cost. Additionally, Quantum's PX510 provides customers true mixed media by magazine through the various SDLT and LTO tape drive options offered. PX510 Availability Quantum plans to begin taking customer orders and to ship the PX510 tape library through the company's network of channel and value added reseller partners in the third calendar quarter of 2005. About Quantum Quantum Corp., a global leader in storage, delivers highly reliable backup, recovery and archive solutions that meet demanding requirements for data integrity and availability, with superior price/performance and comprehensive service and support. Quantum offers customers of all sizes an unparalleled range of solutions, from leading tape drive and media technologies, autoloaders and libraries to disk-based backup systems. Quantum is the world's largest volume supplier of both tape drives and tape automation and has pioneered the development of disk-based systems optimized for backup and recovery. Quantum Corp., 1650 Technology Drive, Suite 800, San Jose, CA 95110, (408) 944-4000, http://www.quantum.com/. NOTE: Quantum, the Quantum logo, DLT and DLTtape are trademarks of Quantum Corporation registered in the United States and other countries. FlexLink and Optyon are trademarks of Quantum Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. "Safe Harbor" Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, without limitation, statements relating to (1) customer benefits from using Quantum's PX510 tape libraries, (2) future sales, market share and availability of such libraries and (3) pricing of such libraries and of competitive offerings, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. As a result, actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described herein include, but are not limited to, operational difficulties, unforeseen technological limitations, the ability of competitors to introduce new products that compete more successfully with our products, changes in market conditions and unanticipated changes in customers' needs or requirements. More detailed information about these risk factors, and additional risk factors, are set forth in Quantum's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations -- Risk Factors," on pages 38 to 49 in Quantum's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 2, 2005 and pages 38 to 49 in Quantum's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2004; and those described in any subsequently filed reports. Such reports contain and identify important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statement. Quantum expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. DATASOURCE: Quantum Corp. CONTACT: Sean Lamb of Quantum Corp., +1-408-944-6727, or Web site: http://www.quantum.com/

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