Dell First to Help Customers Reach a New Level of Data Security

Enhanced Tape Technology Enables Encryption for Industry-Leading Data Protection

ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) today announced it is the first major storage provider to deliver the next generation of Linear Tape-Open drives and media - known as LTO-4 - to help protect and manage business-critical data. With device-level encryption, the Dell PowerVault(TM) LTO-4-120 enables greater levels of security, capacity and performance for tape-based storage.

Industry research shows that most companies rely heavily on tape for backup, archiving and compliance. A recent survey of storage customers, for example, indicated that 81 percent will either increase or maintain their level of investment in tape backup and restore. Additionally, the survey showed that more than 50 percent of companies use tape for compliance storage(1).

Based on the LTO-4 Ultrium format, key features of the Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120 drives include:

    --  Greater Security: LTO-4 is the first version to enable
        device-level encryption. This is important given the portable
        nature of tape and that backup tapes are often stored at
        off-site locations. If lost or stolen, encryption would help
        prevent the data from being accessed.

    --  More Capacity/Performance: The Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120
        drives offer double the capacity - 800GB native - and a 50
        percent performance increase over the previous generation.
        This allows customers to decrease backup windows by 33 percent
        and reduce the number of tape cartridges they are currently
        managing.

    --  Intergenerational Operability: Standardized LTO technology
        ensures customers have forward and backward compatibility as
        well as vendor neutrality. The LTO-4-120 is backward read and
        write compatible with the previous generation and backward
        read compatible with media from the prior two generations.

    Pricing and Availability

Dell expects availability of the drives and media to begin April 20, 2007. Pricing for the external standalone Dell PowerVault LTO-4-120 drive starts at about $4,000 (USD). Media pricing begins at about $200 (USD). For more information on Dell storage, visit http://www.dell.com/storage.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 25 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.

Pricing, specifications, availability, and terms of offers may change without notice. Taxes, fees, shipping, handling and any applicable restocking charges are extra, and vary. U.S. new purchases only. Dell cannot be responsible for pricing or other errors, and reserves the right to cancel orders arising from such errors.

    Dell, PowerVault and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.

Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

(1) Source: "What Storage Managers are Buying and Why," Storage Magazine, Fall 2006 Storage Purchasing Intentions Survey

Source: Dell Inc.

Released April 18, 2007