NEI Takes Worry Out of Manufacturing Process for Market Leading Data Protection Vendor

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NEI (Nasdaq: NENG), a leading provider of application platforms, appliances and support services for software developers, OEMs and service providers worldwide, today announced that SEPATON, Inc., the leader in enterprise-class disk-based data protection solutions, selected NEI to deliver rack-level integration, system testing and supply chain management services for the SEPATON(®) S2100(®)-ES2 virtual tape library (VTL).

SEPATON offers its customers highly configurable VTL solutions that rely on integrated tier-one components working cohesively to deliver a fast, efficient data backup environment. SEPATON's selection of NEI has allowed the company to focus on innovative features and delivering high performance without taking on the direct costs associated with rack-level integration and manufacturing of finished units. Since SEPATON's customers demand highly reliable backup solutions, the company also required an integration partner that would consistently ensure high-quality standards throughout the manufacturing process. NEI's combined integration expertise, client visibility into the manufacturing process and global logistics services gives customers such as SEPATON confidence that their requirements will be met at every stage of the engagement.

"Working with NEI gives SEPATON the freedom to develop highly innovative enterprise data protection solutions without worrying about the deployment platform," said Bob Iacono, chief operating officer, SEPATON, Inc. "NEI acts as an extension of our business. They deliver superior rack integration capabilities backed by quality workmanship, advanced testing practices and the supply chain management competencies we demand. They are as genuinely concerned with our end-user's customer satisfaction as we are. As an alternative to standard contract manufacturing, NEI places value on personal service and adds value throughout our operations."

"SEPATON realized that focusing their resources on integration, testing and global logistics meant those resources would not be available to innovate and differentiate their products," explained Rich Graber, senior vice president, Engineering and Operations, NEI. "Our clients in this competitive market are increasingly focused on what they do best. By partnering with NEI they can address their core competencies with greater focus and be confident in the knowledge they have an expert in integration, system testing and global logistics in their corner."

About SEPATON, Inc.

SEPATON is the only disk-based data protection company with a scale-out backup and recovery system built to achieve the performance and capacity requirements of the most data intensive organizations. Built on our patented scale-out architecture, SEPATON products enable data-intensive enterprises to back up, deduplicate, replicate, and restore petabytes of data at wire speed without disruption to their existing infrastructure. As a result, these products provide the most return on their investment in backup technology. For additional information call 866-SEPATON or visit http://www.sepaton.com.

About NEI

NEI is a leading provider of application platforms, appliances and support services for software developers, OEMs and service providers worldwide. Through its comprehensive suite of services that include solution design, integration control, support and other value-added service capabilities, NEI enables customers to more effectively deploy, manage, service and support their solutions. Founded in 1997, NEI is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol NENG. For more information about NEI's products and services, visit www.nei.com.

NEI and the NEI logo are trademarks of Network Engines, Inc. All other names, brands and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

    Lisa Cliver                            Rob Morton
    NEI                                    Davies Murphy Group
    972-633-3491                           781-418-2460
    lisa.cliver@nei.com                    rmorton@daviesmurphy.com

SOURCE NEI