National Semiconductor, OmniCluster Technologies Join Forces in 'Server Blade' Market

Santa Clara, CA -- 9/4/2001 -- OmniCluster Technologies, Inc., a leader in the development of server blades, has announced that it will use industry-leading Geode™ technology from National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) in its SlotServer 1000.

National Semiconductor's power saving Geode GXI highly-integrated processor allows OmniCluster's product to be the most energy efficient server blade on the market and is currently imbedded in the SlotServer 1000.

This product and others will be on display at the Networld+Interop Conference to be held Sept. 11-13 in Atlanta (Booth #4322).

"We're thrilled with this relationship with National Semiconductor," said Christopher Fleck, chief executive officer of OmniCluster. "By utilizing its technology, OmniCluster is able to provide its clients with the most cost efficient server blade on the market."

"National Semiconductor is the market leader and innovator in the development of thin-client silicon solutions that offer the best combination of performance, power consumption, and price," said Ziv Azmanov, director of thin client business unit at National Semiconductor. "It is exciting for us to work with OmniCluster Technologies, another pioneer which is making significant advances in the introduction of sophisticated thin server/server blade technology."

Measuring just 7 X 4 X 0.5 inches, this server on a card comes complete with CPU, RAM, IDE, USB, Ethernet, SVGA, and an integrated gigabit network to the PCI Bus. The SlotServer 1000 allows up to 18 additional computers that can run independently of each other or as a cluster within one standard computer system, expanding server capacity and functionality, while saving significant space and energy.

Slot server/blade technology is becoming more common. OmniCluster's technology is unlike other slot servers because:

• It is built to industry standards and is compatible with virtually all operating systems
• Users do not have to reconfigure existing rack space or purchase new systems, thereby maximizing their original investment
• The OmniCluster SlotServer has 90 percent lower power consumption than conventional servers

Priced at just $499, the SlotServer 1000 has become recognized as a solution for companies hoping to expand server and computer capability in a cost-effective and timely manner.

About OmniCluster Technologies
OmniCluster Technologies, based in Boca Raton, Florida, is the leading developer and provider of PCI card server blades. OmniCluster provides hardware and software to create clustered server systems within standard PCI based servers for applications such as web serving, load balancing, firewalls and distributed processing. OmniCluster Technologies is privately owned with shareholders including IBM, Mellon Ventures, HIG Ventures, CrossBow Ventures and Cenetec. The company distributes its products throughout the world via business partners and other leading systems integrators. For additional information regarding OmniCluster's products and services, visit the company's web site at www.omnicluster.com.

About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; information appliances; information infrastructure; and display, imaging and human interface technologies. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $2.1 billion for fiscal year 2001 and employs about 9,700 people worldwide.