SNIA XAM Specification Version 1.0 On-Track

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) announced
that the eXtensible Access Method (XAM) specification and Software
Development Kit (SDK) are on-track for mid-2008 public availability and
are driving software collaboration across the industry enabling the
development of a single standard. XAM provides a framework for
standards-based information independence for applications and storage
systems. As such, XAM will deliver storage transparency to end users,
along with the ability to assure information immutability to meet
long-term digital information retention requirements.

The XAM Initiative and associated specification development efforts
continue to progress and build momentum. Fifty companies, which include
storage vendors, application developers and academia, are participating
in the initiative and its two associated Technical Work Groups. The XAM
specification version 1.0 release schedule is on track, and the SNIA
plans to gain member approval for the specification in mid-2008
followed by its submission for ANSI and ISO accreditation.
Additionally, the development of the XAM SDK has accelerated and is on
track for mid-year availability for licensing to the industry.

Advancing the XAM SDK development effort, the SNIA is also announcing
that three active members have donated software in support of the
initiative. EMC has contributed the C++ with Java Native Interface
(JNI) Wrapper XAM Library; HP has donated a Java version of the XAM
Library; and Sun added code from its Sun StorageTek 5800 (previously
known as "Project HoneyComb") for the Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP) and Reference Vendor Implementation Modules (VIMs).

"The donations from these three members, along with support from more
than 45 other companies in the development of the software and
specification, represent key pieces of the XAM program coming together
to deliver a powerful and effective solution for storing and accessing
information in massive reference data repositories," said Vincent
Franceschini, Chair of the SNIA. "From simplified porting and testing
procedures for ISVs, to reducing vendor lock-in by decoupling the
back-end storage from the application, to delivering a solid SDK, the
XAM Initiative is delivering value to its three key constituencies
application developers, end users and storage vendors."

In a related announcement today and, in parallel with the XAM
specification and SDK development, the SNIA Data Management Forum is
beginning development of a new application-centric standard called a
Self-Describing Self-Contained Data Format (SD-SCDF) that will be
coupled with the XAM specification over time. The SD-SCDF is aimed at
providing application developers who adopt XAM the ability to write a
standard, interoperable, long-term preservation format, and XAM
provides SD-SCDF a strategic catalyst enabling adoption.

Key XAM Demonstrations at Storage Networking World Spring 2008
The industry can observe these benefits first-hand again, as the SNIA
XAM Initiative is demonstrating several solutions utilizing the XAM
specification during Storage Networking World Spring 2008. There are
four distinct information management solutions integrated with the XAM
specification being showcased by EMC, HP, Sun Microsystems and
Vignette.

Jon Palin, Imaging and Workflow Solutions Director at application
developer Vignette added, "XAM can help us simplify development
requirements and dramatically reduce time to market pressures. By
utilizing XAM within our document and records repository we could
provide cross-platform support for XAM-compliant storage devices while
removing the need to maintain and test multiple storage drivers."

Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)