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Mercury Computer Systems Announces PowerPC 970FX Rack-Mountable Server Solutions

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 June 2004, 06:00 CDT

CHELMSFORD, Mass., June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury Computer Systems today introduced its XR9 family of Linux(R)-based scalable, modular servers based on dual IBM PowerPC(R) 970FX microprocessors. The rack-mountable systems are available as cluster compute nodes or standalone units, with flexible packaging and configuration options. These cost-effective, high-performance computing solutions are designed for a range of commercial and industrial applications including medical imaging, engineering and scientific simulation, and high-performance data visualization.

The XR9 product family is an extension of Mercury's existing XR line of products, which also includes XRi systems based on Intel(R) Xeon(TM) microprocessors. The XR9 family system supports Mercury's industry-leading algorithm libraries optimized for AltiVec(TM)-based processors and other software solutions, as well as adds support for Mercury's new XRS line of InfiniBand(R) switches and Host Channel Adaptors (HCAs).

"Mercury's new family of computers based on the IBM PowerPC 970FX processors will provide customers with one of the best performance platforms in the market, a great migration path to our existing PCI-based PowerPC G4 users, and an excellent base for a broad variety of applications," said Didier Thibaud, vice president, Imaging and Visualization Solutions (IVS), at Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. "By providing both PowerPC 970FX and Xeon-based solutions in the XR product family, Mercury reaffirms its leadership in integrating, customizing, and installing rack-mountable commercial off-the- shelf (COTS) solutions for imaging and high-speed computation."

The 64-bit PowerPC 970FX processors in the XR9 systems permit addressing of immense data spaces, compared to the 2 to 4 Gbytes/second supported by 32- bit systems. This is crucial in emerging applications in medical imaging, oil and gas exploration, and virtual presence high-end simulations.

XR9 products are based on open standards including the Linux operating system and InfiniBand interconnect products. These technologies enable customers to leverage the wide range of third-party products and public-domain expertise available for these standards. Additionally, InfiniBand's published technology road map anticipates data rates of 30 Gbytes/second within a year, ensuring ample communications bandwidth for high-performance computing applications. PowerPC systems are also code-compatible with Mercury RACE++ Series VantageRT(R) family of PCI-based multicomputers, and possess an established product road map supporting long-term investment protection.

Availability

Mercury's XR9 family of rack-mountable, modular server systems will be available in August 2004.

Information about the XR9 family of servers is available on Mercury's website: http://www.mc.com/xr. A high-resolution photograph can be downloaded from Mercury's image library: http://www.mc.com/70Systems.

About Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. is the leading supplier of high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing computer systems. Mercury's products play a critical role in a wide range of applications, transforming sensor data to information for analysis and interpretation. In military reconnaissance and surveillance platforms the company's systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signals intelligence data. Mercury's systems are also used in state-of-the-art medical diagnostic imaging devices including MRI, PET, and digital X-ray, and in semiconductor imaging applications including photomask generation and wafer inspection. Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mercury serves customers in North America, Europe and Asia through its direct sales force and a network of subsidiaries and distributors. Visit Mercury on the web: http://www.mc.com/.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the XR9 family of modular servers. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "may,""will,""should,""plans,""expects,""anticipates,""continue,""estimate,""project,""intend," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, conditions in the medical imaging, engineering, and scientific simulation, and high- performance data visualization markets, competition, changes in technology, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, market acceptance of XR9 modules and the Company's other products, shortages in components, and production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Contacts:

Leigh McLeod Tom Yates

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Coltrin & Associates

978-967-1120 212-221-1616

VantageRT is a registered of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030930/MERCURYCSLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 212-782-2840

Mercury Computer Systems

CONTACT: Leigh McLeod, Mercury Computer Systems, Inc., +1-978-967-1120,or Tom Yates, Coltrin & Associates, +1-212-221-1616, for Mercury ComputerSystems

Web site: http://www.mc.com/

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