Perturbing effects of osmotic stress:

7.1 HP Understands MediaMasters Networking Needs

Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) understands the needs of corporate networking users and has responded with this comprehensive, storage area networking strategy that addresses the requirements of the campus LAN and the workgroup user. Hewlett-Packard will address MediaMasters SAN requirements with the most comprehensive Fibre Channel solution offered in the industry today.

7.1.1.1 The Power of Hewlett-Packard

HP knows what it takes to deliver hi-tech products that are simple, state-of-the-art, and at leadership prices -- like HP printers, corporate PCs, Wintel and UNIX servers and home PCs. Hewlett-Packard has achieved enormous success in the computer market place.

HP has been a networking player for nearly 2 decades. Hewlett-Packard knows

networking and it knows the mass markets. It understands the business models necessary for success and customer satisfaction. HP Equation Architecture will build on this heritage to bring storage area networks everywhere and to everyone.

The HP brand is one of most recognized and respected in the industry. The power of HP and our proven ability to deliver reliable price-leadership products will serve our customers and us well. Hewlett-Packard will make a difference.

7.1.1.2 Final Thoughts on HP Equation Architecture

The new HP SureStore E product family provides the foundation for the HP Equation storage architecture. In the same way that a power grid supports an electrical utility, the vision for HP Equation is to provide a storage grid for a computing utility. Just as availability, capacity and manageability were overcome long ago as concerns for the electrical utility, the HP Equation architecture can address similar storage-related

concerns for a computing utility while enabling the emerging world of e-services. The HP Equation architecture includes both HP and non-HP elements to meet customers’ high-availability expectations.

The HP SureStore E product family includes existing HP storage solutions as well as a host of new products optimized for enterprise storage and storage area networks (SANs) that support multiplatform environments. It provides customers with a complete range of disk and tape storage hardware, management and monitoring software, SAN-fabric devices, storage-specific consulting services and support.

HP Equation architecture and SureStore E products enhance the stress-free storage guarantee we’ve made to our customers by supporting our vision of an open SAN architecture. This frees MediaMasters from being locked into one vendor and provides them with operating-system, server and storage-subsystem choices. The computing utility of tomorrow will rely on this type of open design to support dynamic e-services that will demand 100 percent information availability and virtually limitless storage capacity

7.1.1.3 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

HP offers a stress-free storage approach from a combined server/storage vendor. As a trusted and reliable company, HP provides stress-free products and solutions that are focused on the best high availability and uptime, and the best operational support.

HP offers peace of mind through a unique 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee – 90-day refund or equivalent value replacement of HP SureStore E hardware solutions – no questions asked.

7.1.1.4 Best Customer Support in the Industry

After all the effort that Hewlett-Packard takes to ensure the reliability of its networking equipment, it is very unlikely that MediaMasters will ever have a problem with our products. However, as added reassurance, Hewlett-Packard offers a very wide range of support services, ranging from free telephone assistance for configuring your hubs and switches to on-site maintenance.

As a multinational company, Hewlett-Packard has implemented a comprehensive, fully staffed support organization to ensure that HP’s quality support programs match

customer needs and are delivered consistently worldwide. This means MediaMasters can count on the same high-level support in the majority of locations where overseas operations might be located. Hewlett-Packard is one of four worldwide Microsoft Authorized Support Centers for providing customers service and support for Microsoft products, including Windows NT and BackOffice, through the reseller channel. Hewlett-Packard has 35 response-center locations and 600 field offices worldwide for immediate response at any time.

HP has built a tradition of providing the best system support in the computer industry.

HP’s reputation for delivering high-quality support has been well documented in independent market surveys of computer system users worldwide. The survey results reflect the opinions of our toughest critics, our customers.

7.1.1.5 Extensive Product and Support Information on the Web

Looking for frequently asked questions (FAQs), software update, news, and network designs? Visit our web site at: http://www.enterprisestorage.hp.com/

7.1.2 Some Final Thoughts for Consideration

HP believes we offer MediaMasters unparalleled competitive advantages for your storage area networking needs. Hewlett-Packard has the products, technologies, service, and support to ensure success and customer satisfaction to MediaMasters IS team and end-users. Hewlett-Packard is uniquely qualified to provide networking products for you. No other vendor in this industry can offer you all of the following benefits:

7.1.2.1 Quality and Reliability

The quality and reliability of HP’s networking products are backed by the strongest warranties in the industry. At HP, quality is defined by MediaMasters and our other customers. Therefore, the HP Software and Services Group (SSG), including the ACS Group, begin at the same place when they are ready to plan for quality improvements, improved services, resource management, and business growth. We draw on our knowledge of our customer and market needs, and use them to drive business strategies and their implementation.

We work hard to optimize relationships with suppliers, partners, and customers. We measure and manage customer satisfaction. Finally, we strive to instill passion for customer service in the organization by focusing on understanding, satisfying, and exceeding the needs of MediaMasters as well as our other internal and external

customers. At HP, we are truly committed to customer-focused service and support, and our many awards in this area are proof to our success.

7.1.2.2 Manageability

HP managed hubs and switches are the most manageable in the industry, adhering to the standards that Hewlett-Packard helped develop. You can use industry-leading HP OpenView, include HP TopTools for Hubs and Switches, and use your web browser to view our managed hubs and switches from any PC with a web browser.

7.1.2.3 Server and Storage Synergies

HP has leveraged knowledge gained as a leader in the server and storage markets to our SANs and software products . Our servers and PCs are managed as part of HP

OpenView, providing synergies that most storage-only or software-only vendors cannot offer.

7.1.2.4 Enterprise Focus

HP is committed to supporting open standards in all of the areas of data processing, data storage, and data communication and is an active participant and leader in many of the standards bodies. HP has recognized the benefits of these technologies to the enterprise and realizes that most enterprises have components of all of them: LAN, NAS, and the SAN. When each of these performance solutions is tuned in a networked system there is a "sweet spot" where the convergence of the technologies enables the highest levels of

of the individual parts.

7.1.2.5 Proven Expertise

HP invented networking over twisted-pair cable (10Base-T) and stackable hubs. Hewlett-Packard continues to drive innovation in high-speed networking and proactive network management.

7.1.2.6 Worldwide Presence

HP is one of the leading computer vendors in the world with distribution, service, and support entities in major countries around the globe. No other system vendor has the completeness of HP’s vision nor the plans in place, that are being executed, to achieve this vision in order to lead our customers into the 21st century.

7.2 High Availability Solutions For Servers

7.2.1 MC/ServiceGuard For HP-UX Systems

MC/ServiceGuard is a software product that allows creation of high-availability Unix server clusters. The MediaMasters main production server could benefit from such an implementation.

For more information on the MC/ServiceGuard product for HP Unix servers, see:

http://www.hp.com/esy/software_applications/high_availability/products/mcsg_understan ding.html.

7.2.2 NSI Balance Suite For NT Or NetWare Systems

High availability software for Microsoft WindowsNT or NetWare-based servers is available through NSI Software with their Balance Suite product. For more information on these products see: http://www.nsisw.com/.