Leading Australian Hardware and Software Companies partner to deliver Unique NAS Storage Solution

Melbourne, Australia, November 10, 2004 - In a World's first, two Melbourne based companies have partnered to deliver a preconfigured Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution with built-in data backup capability that is ready to deploy in minutes.

The Westan Armastor NAS is based on Microsoft's Windows Storage Server 2003 and is pre-configured with BackupAssist - Windows Backup Software to allow businesses to implement a disk-to-disk and disk-to-tape backup strategy. This will benefit customers in the SME/SMB market who want to reduce specific training requirements, lower operating expenses and trim total cost of ownership with an affordable, high performance and simple to operate NAS solution with data backup capability that does not require any downtime to deploy. This is made possible by Westan joining forces with Cortex I.T.

"Armastor NAS servers deliver instant storage and data protection to allow businesses to easily and quickly add 1 terrabyte to an existing network without downtime. What we are offering Windows users is a ready-to-use NAS device with built in backup for Exchange and SQL Server. The NAS device is manufactured right here Mt Waverley and the backup software is written just down the road in Box Hill by Cortex I.T.- this really is an exciting first for Australia and Westan," said Ken Anderson, Director WSSD (Westan Storage Server Division).

OEM Partner and supplier of backup technologies, Cortex I.T. are equally excited by this development. "In a world where 90% of our sales go overseas, and having supplied our technology to major U.S. corporations and even entire governments, we're now proud to partner with local company, Westan. This customized solution gives the Armastor NAS a distinct and unique advantage in the Australian market, with inbuilt backup capability. Today is a milestone for the Australian software industry and a great day for Aussie jobs." said Linus Chang, Managing Director of Cortex I.T.

"When many companies are now outsourcing development to India, this development is a major step forward in the fightback for Australia." he added. "The consumer is the real winner - local development means better support and better solutions tailored to meet our needs."

This announcement is just the beginning of a new phase for Westan, Anderson also added. "Westan is currently involved in negotiations with more vendors of other key storage technologies to bring business friendly solutions to our customer's doorstep. We are at the tip of iceberg in regard to our capabilities and what we can offer the market, the next few years will be very exciting for us and our business partners," he said.

About Westan

Westan Pty Ltd., established in 1989, is one of Australia's most diverse distributors & Systems Integrators, with annual sales of close to Aus$85 million and offices across Australia and in Auckland, New Zealand. Westan launched its own brand of server and storage products back in 1999 and in 2002 began a major marketing push into the SME/SMB space. In 2004 Westan plans to rapidly expand its growth in two major market segments, data storage & communications. For more information: www.westan.com.au or call 61 3 9541 8888.

About Cortex I.T.

Cortex I.T. is an Australian technology company, specializing in developing software products for small to medium business. Since its founding in 2001, Cortex I.T. has quickly gained international success and a worldwide reputation as a leader in backup management software, with its flagship product - BackupAssist.

For more information, please contact Linus Chang on +61 3 9899 4681 or .

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