Tim Jones
EST, Inc.
PH: 602.470.1115
E-mail: tjones@estinc.com

Major Tape Drive Manufacturers Embrace Linux Tape Certification Program

Phoenix, AZ, April 28th, 1999 - EST, the leading provider of reliable backup software for Linux systems, is pleased to announce the Linux Tape Certification Program, a program designed to test and certify tape drive manufacturer's devices under the Linux operating system.

"One of the most frequently asked questions that we hear is, 'What tape drive works with Linux?'," said Darrell Bingham, Technical Support Manager for EST. "This certification program will give Linux users the information that they need to make an informed choice when selecting a backup device. It will also provide backup hardware venders with a means of communicating their support for Linux."

"EST was approached by many of the major backup hardware manufacturers who recognized the opportunity that the Linux marketplace represents," said Tim Jones, EST's Vice President of Development and Marketing. "We, in turn, worked with them to produce a certification program that has been met with a high level of excitement and enthusiasm. We have already received commitments from Hewlett Packard, Exabyte Corporation, Seagate, OnStream Technologies, Tecmar Technologies, Ecrix Corporation, and Aiwa Corporation. And, we expect to see most of the remaining, primary manufacturers onboard with the program before the end of Summer."

"We applaud EST for taking a leadership role in providing interoperability assurance in Linux environments," said Mike Koclanes VP and GM of the storage automation division at Exabyte. "Since Linux is an open source platform, essentially owned by the user community, it is crucial that vendors cooperate to ensure that their products are compatible and will perform up to users expectations. We're very excited about having our high performance tape drives and libraries certified for use on Linux platforms under EST's new program."

The program will test a manufacturer's products against a static set of test procedures under Linux to ensure that all devices are tested equally and fairly. These procedures will be run from an automated test environment to reduce the potential for human error in the process. Once tests are completed, we will be providing the results in the form of a web site located at http://www.linuxtapecert.org, which will be active beginning May 3^rd, 1999. Also, the entire test process will be outlined and all test scripts will be downloadable from this site.

"EST released its BRU backup software for Linux back in 1994," said Ted Cook, EST's President, "and we have established ourselves as the market leader for Linux backup. We have been working quietly behind the scenes within the Linux community to provide support for a number of popular tape drives. This program will allow us to work more closely with the drive manufacturers to ensure that the latest tape and other backup technologies are available to the Linux community in a timely manner and with proper support."

"Linux is generating a significant interest in our channels," said Darryl Lloyd, Director of Public Relations at Tecmar Technologies, "and we are pleased to be working with EST to ensure the Tecmar NS20 family of tape drives are certified for use in this market. Tecmar also plans to certify our newly acquired Ditto line for use with the Linux environment."

"We have been very impressed with the quality of the Linux operating system, and how it has gained such rapid market acceptance," said Mike Saunders, Ecrix's Vice President of Marketing. "Our VXA tape storage technology is a natural fit with the high-quality, low-cost Linux culture. We are very pleased that EST has taken the leadership role in providing a vendor neutral certification program for tape technologies under Linux."

To provide the best possible coverage for the various devices available for backup use, there will be four levels of certification provided under this program:

Intention To Certify - this level is defined to allow vendors with new or unsupported hardware to show the Linux community that they intend to support Linux.

Basic Certification - this level indicates that a user will be able to write data, read data, rewind media, retention media (where required), erase media, append data, and seek to a specified file save set on tape.

Enhanced Certification - this level adds the requirements of supporting logical block positioning and variable block sizes as well as properly returning information regarding LEOT, LBOT and other recommended condition reporting defined in the general specifications for the device type.

Extended Functionality Certification - this level adds the functional tests required for proper operation of robotics, or loader, mechanisms, multiple drive enclosures, secure erase, partitioning, and other features and functions that go beyond the requirements of the first two levels of certification.

"OnStream applauds the Linux Tape Device Certification program from Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc. because it ensures the delivery of tested, reliable storage solutions for businesses deploying Linux servers," said James A. Jonez, director of product marketing at OnStream, Inc. "OnStream 30GB and 50GB Digital Drives fill the need for high capacity, low cost storage on Linux servers in a wide range of business applications. By participating in this program, OnStream is demonstrating its commitment to the Linux community."

EST will work closely with the drive manufacturers and the Linux developer community to ensure that any modifications required for device compatibility are implemented successfully. Any resulting changes or new device drivers will be provided back to the Linux community under an Open Source License, such as the GPL.

Additionally, we have developed a "Linux Tape Certified" logo that will be provided for use by the manufacturer in their marketing documents, packaging, and internet sites. This will provide a marketing benefit for the device manufacturers by showing their support for Linux and also provide peace of mind for consumers, ensuring devices that they purchase will function properly under Linux.

Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc. (EST), a privately held corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, is a leading supplier of high reliability system utilities, known for both product excellence and customer support. Our BRU product is the number one commercial backup utility for Linux. EST has been continuously developing BRU[tm] Backup and Restore Utility for the Unix market since 1985 and for Linux since 1994.

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.