Expansion Kit Bundles Now Available for Sonnet's Echo Express III-R and xMac Pro Server Rackmount Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe Expansion Systems

Five New Preconfigured Modules for Sonnet's Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit Deliver Popular Storage Expansion and Media Ingest Options

IRVINE, Calif. -- May 28, 2014 -- Sonnet Technologies today announced five new Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits for the Echo(TM) Express III-R, a 2U rackmount Thunderbolt(TM) 2-to-PCI Express(R) (PCIe(R)) expansion system, and for the recently announced xMac(TM) Pro Server Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe expansion system and 4U rackmount enclosure for new Mac Pro(R) computers. Those expansion systems were designed to accommodate additional equipment within their enclosures, and the Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits take advantage of that feature by offering users a simple way to add two 5.25-inch mobile rack devices to their equipment rack without taking up any more space.

The new preconfigured mobile rack systems include the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit with internal 100-watt power supply and 40-millimeter fan; one or two devices such as swappable 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drive cages, a Blu-ray(TM) burner, or a professional video media card reader; a PCIe controller card to support the devices; and the necessary cables to connect them together. Kits including drive cages require the user to purchase SATA hard disk drives or Solid State Drives. With the drive cages preinstalled in the mounting bracket, users need only install the PCIe card and Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit in the expansion system, and connect the devices and card with the provided cables.

Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits are available in the following configurations:

The Storage Expansion x8 Edition is configured for those requiring access to high storage volumes and the ability to swap out drives easily. This edition includes the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit, eight swappable 2.5-inch 6 Gb/sec SATA drive cages, one eight-port 6 Gb/sec SAS/SATA PCIe 2.0 host bus adapter card, and all required cables.

The Blu-ray Mastering Edition is configured for users needing an easy way to create Blu-ray disc masters using files from multiple drives. This edition includes the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit; one 6x BD-R Blu-ray burner optical drive; two swappable 6 Gb/sec SATA 2.5-inch drive cages; one trayless, swappable 6 Gb/sec SATA 3.5-inch drive cage; one four-port 6 Gb/sec eSATA PCIe 2.0 host controller card; and all required cables.

The Pro Media Reader Edition is configured to enable users to ingest files easily and quickly from just about any HD video memory card -- SxS(TM), P2, CompactFlash(R), SDHC(TM), and SDXC(TM) -- through one device, and offload the files to multiple drives. This edition includes the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit, one Qio(TM) MR Thunderbolt Edition pro universal media reader with Thunderbolt Interface adapter and Thunderbolt cable, four swappable 2.5-inch 6 Gb/sec SATA drive cages, one four-port 6 Gb/sec eSATA PCIe 2.0 host controller card, and all required cables.

The Mac Pro Migration Edition is configured with the seasoned Mac Pro user in mind, providing a simple way to move drives from an old tower into a new Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe expansion system. This kit includes the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit; three trayless, swappable 3.5-inch 6 Gb/sec SATA drive cages; one four-port 6 Gb/sec eSATA PCIe 2.0 host controller card; and all required cables.

The Data Archiving and Storage Edition is configured for those needing extra storage expansion and the ability to archive the data to an LTO tape drive. This kit includes the basic Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kit, four swappable 2.5-inch 6 Gb/sec SATA drive cages, one eight-port 6 Gb/sec SAS/SATA PCIe 2.0 host bus adapter card, and all required cables. The user must also purchase an LTO tape drive to complete the package.

Sonnet's Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits are priced as follows: The Storage Expansion x8 Edition (part number MR-STO-X8SSD) has a suggested retail price of $999. The Blu-ray Mastering Edition (part number MR-BRM-X2S1H) has a suggested retail price of $899. The Pro Media Reader Edition (part number MR-QIO-X4SSD) has a suggested retail price of $1,899. The Mac Pro Migration Edition (part number MR-MPM-X3HD) has a suggested retail price of $699. The Data Archiving Edition (part number MR-LTO-X4SSD) has a suggested retail price of $899. All five new kits are available immediately.

More information on the Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits is available at www.sonnettech.com/product/mobilerackkit.

More information on Sonnet's complete product family is available at www.sonnettech.com.

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About Sonnet Technologies

Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of storage systems, Thunderbolt(TM) technology PCIe(R) expansion products, interface cards, and media readers for professional users in the audio, video, and broadcast industries. Sonnet's Thunderbolt expansion products enable the use of pro audio I/O and DSP cards, pro video capture and transcoding cards, interface cards, and other high-performance PCIe cards with mini, portable, and all-in-one computers. The company's product line features a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable RAID storage solutions. For more than 27 years Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac(R), Windows(R), and other industry-standard computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.

Echo, xMac and Qio are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/sonnet-mobile_rack_dev_mntg_kits.jpg

Photo Caption:Sonnet mobile rack device mounting kits, plus the Echo(TM) Express III-R with a kit installed (sold separately), and an xMac Pro(TM) Server with a different kit installed (also sold separately).

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