Press Release

FileTek Embeds MERANT's SequeLink in StorHouse - Enhancement Provides Seamless Data Connectivity via ODBC, ADO, and Java

Rockville, MD (April 18, 2000)– FileTek, Inc. today announced the general availability of its StorHouse® storage management and data access solution embedded with DataDirect SequeLink® from MERANT (NNM: MRNT; LSE: MRN). With this integration, FileTek can now offer customers seamless direct connectivity to StorHouse from any standards-based commercial or custom relational database application. MERANT has agreed to maintain and develop SequeLink data connectivity drivers for FileTek, keeping StorHouse current with existing and future industry standards

StorHouse is the only storage management system with a relational database software layer that allows direct access to rows stored across all storage media (e.g., tape, RAID, optical). FileTek designed StorHouse to manage terabytes to petabytes of enterprise-wide atomic or detailed data, enabling the storage and exploitation of exhaustive business information, such as: Internet clickstream detail data, telephone call details, market basket data, and financial transactions.

"We're very pleased about this new StorHouse feature because it will enable customers to connect from a single application to any number of databases without modifying their original application," said George Pasterak, FileTek's VP of Development. "Now StorHouse can connect with the over 400 diverse third party software applications already incorporating some form of standards-based database connectivity such as ODBC, JDBC, or ADO/OLE-DB."

"We want anyone to be able to store, manage and access their atomic data via StorHouse regardless if they want to query over a Windows™, Java™, or UNIX platform," said Rob Simonds, Vice President of Marketing at FileTek. "Our company has a long term commitment to providing software that uses open standards. And now with SequeLink, atomic data can be made available to any end-user using enterprise report tools, e-commerce servers, data mining engines, data warehousing tools, as well as user-written applications."

"We are thrilled to partner with FileTek to deliver industry-leading data access and integration solutions," said Michael Consoli, MERANT senior vice president and general manager of Enterprise Data Connectivity. "With this technology partnership, FileTek can focus on developing high-quality data storage and access management solutions while letting MERANT deliver scalable, high-performance data access and integration solutions. Together, we can help customers leverage their enterprise applications to unleash the valuable data assets in their StorHouse databases."

StorHouse with SequeLink is currently shipping and available directly from FileTek. Please contact the company for further information and pricing.

About FileTek

FileTek, Inc. develops, markets and supports integrated data storage and access management solutions that help organizations improve the top line, control and reduce costs, and increase return on investment by leveraging enterprise data assets for decision-making. The company specializes in enterprise-level management and storage of transaction and historical data in relational and non-relational form.

FileTek is headquartered at 9400 Key West Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850.