Rorke Delivers Low-Cost AIT Back-Up for Mac OSX
Rorke Integrate Libraries to Back-Up Macintosh SAN environments

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (September 12, 2003) – Today at the International Broadcaster’s Consortium (IBC) 2003, Rorke Data (Hall 7, Stand 711) together with its sister company Bell Microproducts Europe BV (both subsidiaries of San Jose-based Bell Microproducts, Inc. -- NASDAQ:BELM) announced a partnership to deliver a low-cost Advanced Intelligent Tape ? (AIT) back-up solution for Mac OSX users.

The new solutions, which will be available for world wide distribution only through Rorke authorized resellers, combines Sony Electronics' low-profile, rack mount AIT-3 library (model LIB-81 or LIB-162), Dantz Retrospect software, and Rorke Data’s highly regarded ImageSAN-OSX™ Storage Area Network (SAN) solution.

The Sony LIB-81 provides up to .8TB of native capacity (2.08 TB with compression) and a 12MB/sec sustained native transfer rate (24MB/sec with compression) in a 1U high form factor. The LIB-162 easily doubles the capacity of the LIB-81, offering a native capacity of 1.6TB (4.16TB with compression), and a combined transfer rate of up to 173 GB per hour in a low profile 2U height configuration.

“With the AIT technology, Sony offers one of the industry’s strongest solutions delivering the outstanding capacity, performance, reliability and scalability broadcast applications require,” said John Woelbern, director of OEM marketing for Sony Electronics’ Component Solutions Business Division. “Together with its ImageSAN-OSX software and Sony’s AIT technology, Rorke Data will be able to offer Mac OSX users new levels of capacity and performance for shared data storage, enabling seamless file format exchange between heterogeneous broadcast servers and multiple NLE application environments.”

ImageSAN-OSX allows users to collaborate more efficiently and effectively without the time consuming process of copying and moving data to individual workstations. In a non-linear editing environment, ImageSAN supports a wide range of NLE editing suites including Incite, Apple Final Cut Pro, Pinnacle, Media100, Matrox, DPX and Adobe providing multiple users a fully integrated workflow.

“Sony’s AIT-3 libraries provide one of the lowest cost per gigabyte and highest native capacity solutions in the industry,” said Joe Rorke, Vice President of Marketing, for Rorke Data. “When paired with ImageSAN, the total solution enables editors, broadcasters, graphic artists or anyone else involved with the inherent large file sizes associated with fixed content and rich media applications, to focus on their work rather than the data storage and network systems. A solution like this is unique in the Mac market, and we are looking forward to offering it to our customers.”

ImageSAN, developed by Rorke Data is a unique SAN product enabling users to modify and leverage workflow specific to content creation, distribution, and output. Rorke Data’s ImageSAN transforms workflow not only as a function of highly scalable, fibre-channel storage and network infrastructure, but by enhancing user collaboration with storage virtualization. Combined with Sony’s AIT-3 libraries will give Mac OSX users flexible, low-cost storage paired with the capability to manage and share over-sized video files.

Please visit Rorke Data’s Booth at IBC, September 12 th -16 th 2003, RAI Convention Center, Amsterdam and see how ImageSAN enables end-to-end storage workflow, from ingest and edit, to broadcast and archive.

About Rorke Data
Rorke Data is a full digital storage solutions provider with expertise in Fibre-Channel RAID, SAN, DVD, tape and optical libraries, Unix, NT and Mac environments, high bandwidth networks, and related professional services. Founded in 1985, Rorke Data, is a subsidiary of Bell Microproducts, San Jose, CA, and is composed of four divisions: Medical Diagnostic Imaging, Digital Video & Broadcast, Digital Prepress & Publishing, as well as a Technical Services division. More information about Rorke Data can be found at www.rorke.com. Rorke Data is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Microproducts, Inc. (NASDAQ: BELM).

About Bell Microproducts
Bell Microproducts is an international value added provider of a wide range of high technology products, solutions, and services to the industrial and commercial marketplace. The company’s offering includes semiconductors, computer platforms, peripherals, and storage products of various types including desktop, high-end computer and storage subsystems, Fibre-Channel connectivity products, RAID, NAS and SAN storage systems and back-up products. Bell Microproducts is an industry-recognized specialist in storage products and is one of the world’s largest storage-centric value-added distributors.The company’s products are available at any level of integration from components, to subsystem assemblies, to fully integrated, tested and certified system solutions. The company adds value with a broad range of services including testing, software loading, kitting, mass storage system integration, and computer system integration. Trained and certified technical personnel complete each of these processes at Bell Microproducts’ ISO 9002 facilities. Bell Microproducts markets and distributes more than 150 brand name product lines, as well as its own BellStor storage and TradeMark computer brands, to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), contract electronic manufacturing services (EMS) customers, value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators in the Americas and Europe. More information can be found in SEC filings, or by visiting the Bell Microproducts website at www.bellmicro.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current views of future events and financial performance, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: the ability to successfully integrate the operations of recent acquisitions, industry conditions, changes in product supply, pricing, and customer demand, competition, other vagaries in the computer and electronic components markets, changes in relationships with key suppliers, foreign currency fluctuations and the other risks described from time to time in the Company's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K). Investors should take such risks into account when making investment decisions. Shareholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.

For more information, contact: Rorke Data, Inc., 7626 Golden Triangle Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344;
800/328-8147 or 952/829-0300; fax: 952/829-0988; website: www.rorke.com.

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