San Jose, CA-March 16, 2004-Panasas, the leader in object-based storage systems for scalable Linux clusters, was named a winner of the 2004 Network Storage Conference Awards at the Network Storage Conference, held last week in Monterey, California. Panasas was honored in the "Innovation" category for its development of the Panasas ActiveScale Storage Cluster, the premier storage system for scalable Linux clusters. A panel of storage luminaries, including experts from the Aberdeen Group, Computer Technology Review, IBM, Peripheral Concepts Inc., and Sun Microsystems, selected the Panasas ActiveScale Storage Cluster as one of the outstanding achievements in storage networking for 2003.

The Panasas ActiveScale Storage Cluster is built on an object-based storage architecture and delivers exceptional scaling in capacity and record-setting performance while simplifying management. It is the first storage system optimized for Linux cluster computing environments.

"We are honored to accept this prestigious award," said Garth Gibson, CTO and co-founder of Panasas. "This award recognizes years of work that have gone into developing the Panasas ActiveScale Storage Cluster and our commitment to providing customers with the storage capabilities to unlock the potential of Linux clusters."

"As the premier storage conference in the industry, the Network Storage Conference every year strives to honor the most outstanding products in storage," said Farid Neema, president of Peripheral Concepts. "Panasas has developed a unique product whose record-setting performance, scalability and ease in management are unmatched in the industry."

About Peripheral Concepts

Peripheral Concepts was formed in 1991 and specializes in market research and consulting in industries related to computer mass storage and storage management, with emphasis on systems, applications and end-user requirements. Peripheral Concepts services include market research and analysis, strategic marketing and business planning, product and market development, and competitive analysis.

About Panasas

Formed in 2000, Panasas, Inc. (www.panasas.com) is the pioneering leader in object-based storage clustering for scalable Linux clusters. Panasas offers a networked storage solution that eliminates the inherent scalability bottlenecks in capacity and performance experienced by traditional networked storage systems. The system, based on industry standards, is designed to easily and cost-effectively integrate into existing IT environments. The company's headquarters are in Fremont, CA with development facilities in Pittsburgh, PA and Houston, TX.