Seattle, Wash. — May 4, 2004 — [WinHEC 2004, Booth 223] Alacritech® Inc., the innovator of data acceleration solutions that enable the highest performance and efficiency in networked systems, today announced announced its leading Accelerators based on SLIC Technology® for Data Path Offload (DPO) will support the Microsoft® (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows® Chimney TCP/IP Offload Architecture. Existing Alacritech customers will be able to upgrade to drivers built and qualified to the Chimney APIs through a free software update.

“As the leading supplier of TCP offload and iSCSI HBA solutions, we’re pleased to see Microsoft endorse Data Path Offload architecture in its upcoming Windows Chimney Architecture,” said Joe Gervais, director, Marketing, Alacritech Inc. “Our development efforts have resulted in a TOE implementation based on Chimney that will provide the efficient data delivery customers have come to expect from Alacritech.”

“Alacritech’s ground-breaking efforts in the area of TCP/IP offload have been fundamental in enabling us to prove the capability and value of this technology,” said Steve Anderson, director, Windows Server Marketing, Microsoft. “Microsoft continues to work closely with Alacritech in the development of TCP/IP offload architecture to advance the scalability of Windows platforms for multi-Gigabit LANs.”

Microsoft’s Chimney Offload Architecture gives customers the performance and scalability they need for today’s server and storage applications, while preserving application compatibility and standard network management practices. Alacritech will provide free drivers to customers of its Gigabit TCP Offload Engine (TOE) Network Interface Cards (TNICs) and iSCSI Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) for use with Chimney-qualified products when Microsoft makes the Chimney Offload APIs generally available. Alacritech customers are assured the new drivers will provide the same high performance and enterprise-class functionality, including failover and link aggregation, they’ve come to expect from Alacritech’s existing TCP offload drivers for Microsoft Windows.

About Alacritech Acceleration Technology
As systems and servers move increasing amounts of network data, new solutions are needed to solve both efficiency and throughput challenges. Alacritech Accelerators include Gigabit Ethernet and Fast Ethernet TNIC products and iSCSI HBA products based on SLIC Technology®, Alacritech’s patented Data Path Offload (DPO) architecture. Alacritech’s SLIC Technology supplements the TCP software control plane with distributed hardware data planes to maximize data movement through Ethernet-based networks. This revolutionary architecture is designed to maximize server and storage performance and efficiency. All Alacritech products offer industry-standard failover and link aggregation.

Availability
Alacritech Accelerators with drivers that meet Designed for Windows Server 2003 and Designed for Windows 2000 Server logo requirements are available today through Alacritech’s channel partners worldwide. Alacritech will make its free software upgrade for the Microsoft Chimney Offload Architecture available upon Microsoft Chimney’s general availability.

About Alacritech Inc.
Alacritech Inc. is the world’s leading supplier of TCP Offload Engine (TOE) solutions that enable the highest performance and efficiency in networked systems. Alacritech’s complete line of Accelerators is based on the company’s patented SLIC Technology to optimize data delivery in servers, network-attached storage and iSCSI storage devices. SLIC Technology, the basis of industry-accepted TOE solutions, ships in storage and server products worldwide. Alacritech is a privately held company based in San Jose, California. For more information about Alacritech and its products, please visit the company’s Web site at www.alacritech.com.

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