Rorke Data Announces SAN Partnership with FAST Multimedia

Eden Prairie, MN, December 14, 1999 — Rorke Data, Inc. today announced a partnership agreement with FAST Multimedia U.S. that will allow multiple users of the 601 non-linear editing system and Rorke's StudioNet-FC to concurrently share the same footage from a Storage Area Network (SAN) system.

According to Bob Herzan, Rorke's Director/Worldwide Sales, AV Division, the agreement is significant in that it delivers one of the major "wish list" items in modern post production — the desire to share media and projects between edit bays. "This has been a long-time wish of post production facilities," said Herzan, "to get more than one person onto a project.  The idea is that collaboration among users on a single project will mean added creativity and speed."

With StudioNet FC from Rorke Data, 601 users will now be able to share media and projects between 601 systems at speeds of more than 100 MB/second across a Local Area Network (LAN) and realize increases in price/performance benefits when compared to other non-linear editing systems on the market. FAST Multimedia demonstrated the new FAST-Rorke technology partnership at the December 1999 Government Video Technology Expo in Washington, DC, with multiple 601 systems running the same project and the same media files.

StudioNet-FC is a full-duplex serial communications interface for networks in high-performance audio environments. Offering rates up to 200 MB/second, StudioNet-FC eliminates all SCSI and reliability problems, including SCSI termination, SCSI IDs, unwieldy cables, and inappropriate cable lengths.  By means of multiple Rorke Data AVR-9000/FC Switches, the system provides users with a solution that is upgradeable from a single host storage channel to a multiple host storage network of up to 126 IDs per arbitrated loop.

FAST 601 and StudioNet-FC system will be available in Q1 of 2000 and will be very cost-competitive, said Bob Herzan. "For example," said Herzan, "three 601s with a 575 GB RAID — allowing three concurrent users sharing media — will be available for less than the cost of a current competitor's single user system." Exact pricing information will be available in early 2000.

Rorke Data is a full digital storage solutions provider with expertise in SAN-connectivity, FC RAID, high performance tape and optical libraries, Unix, NT and Mac environments, high bandwidth networks, digital asset and document management, and engineering and maintenance services. Founded in 1985, Rorke Data is a privately held Minnesota corporation.  Together with its European subsidiary, Rorke Data Europe, located in Emmen, The Netherlands, the company is composed of six divisions: Audio/Video, Prepress, Imaging, Document Management, Digital Media Supplies, and Engineering and Installation Services.  More information about Rorke Data can be found at www.rorke.com.

For more information, contact:   Rorke Data, Inc., 7626 Golden Triangle Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344  U.S.A.; 800/328-8147 or 612/943-7880; fax: 612/829-0988; web site:  www.rorke.com.

Rorke Data™ and StudioNet-FC™ are trademarks of Rorke Data, Inc.

All other products mentioned are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners

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