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String Bean Software Announces Windows Software Solution for iSCSI Storage NetworkingMaryland-Based Company Inks Initial Enterprise Licensing Agreement for WinTargetMONTGOMERY VILLAGE, MD -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/17/04 -- String Bean Software, Inc., a developer of Storage Area Network (SAN) software solutions, today announced the availability of WinTarget(TM), a software solution that extends the Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) target capability of the Microsoft Windows platform. WinTarget provides organizations with the ability to share any direct attached disks over existing networks, while fully leveraging Windows Disk Management tools. "The iSCSI protocol, supported by Windows and developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force, provides the ability to link data storage devices over IP networks," said Dr. Claude Lorenson, Product Manager, Storage Technologies, Microsoft Corporation. "iSCSI is a key factor in the proliferation of network storage. Microsoft already provides an iSCSI architecture for the Windows Server platform that includes an initiator, and we are pleased to see the arrival of an iSCSI target solution on the Windows platform -- offering our customers more efficient storage management capabilities." Using basic Windows skills, administrators can quickly and easily install WinTarget -- immediately achieving the migration from direct attached to consolidated network storage. This provides administrators with the ability to centrally manage storage functions, including provisioning disk capacity on demand and offering high availability configurations. WinTarget delivers block level efficiency and performance advantages with the cost advantage of standard infrastructure. "The benefits of storage networking are being proven at the enterprise data center, but still a large segment of the external storage market remains direct attached," said Thieu Le, President, String Bean Software. "We saw the requirement for low cost software that would enable standard platforms to deliver network storage over standard network infrastructure. As such, we took the initiative to develop WinTarget to provide end-to-end network control on the Windows platform. We are excited with the feedback we have received from our over 250 beta customers, including major OEMs, system integrators, and blue chip organizations." Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement and Microsoft Qualification In a subsequent announcement, String Bean Software has signed an Enterprise Licensing Agreement with Microsoft. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft can use WinTarget for demo and production use across the corporation. Uses include various testing scenarios with multiple product groups, as well as in conjunction with Microsoft Virtual Server for training classes provided through Microsoft internal training organizations. Further, String Bean Software has achieved two separate qualifications from Microsoft for its iSCSI target. WinTarget software has completed the requirements under the Designed for Windows XP Software Logo Program. The goal of the "Designed for Windows XP" logo program is to ensure that companies developing software for Microsoft® Windows® XP maintain the level of quality and consistency that is expected by end users. It also helps to ensure that WinTarget is stable when running Microsoft Windows, its related software components are installed and removed easily, as well as the basic experience with WinTarget and the Microsoft operating system is the same or better after upgrading to future versions of Windows. WinTarget Server solution has also passed Microsoft's iSCSI Hardware Compatibility Test (HCT), which qualifies WinTarget Server for use with Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP under the Microsoft Designed for Windows Logo Program for hardware. This program qualifies WinTarget Server as an iSCSI hardware target able to interoperate with Windows and the Microsoft iSCSI architecture. "The ability to enhance the Microsoft platform with iSCSI storage adds considerable value to Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP," said Dr. Lorenson. "WinTarget's ease of deployment and simple management functionality allows our internal teams to quickly implement its capabilities as required throughout their organization. In addition, WinTarget is designed to work with the Windows environment, allowing for rapid deployment to gain immediate benefits." Pricing and Availability WinTarget is now generally available to OEMs, channel partners, and the end user community. Free evaluation software can be accessed at www.stringbeansoftware.com. WinTarget is licensed at $250 per server client and is capped at $2,500 for unlimited clients. About String Bean Software, Inc.
String Bean Software develops and markets storage management software
targeted at small and mid-sized companies, as well as to individual
departments within larger enterprise organizations. The company is at the
forefront in the development of iSCSI solutions for the Windows platform.
String Bean Software is headquartered in Montgomery Village, Maryland with
additional facilities located in the United Kingdom. For more information,
visit www.stringbeansoftware.com
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