MOUNTAIN VIEW and SAN JOSE, Calif. - November 24, 2003 - VERITAS Software Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTS), the leading storage software provider, and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced the immediate availability of network-based volume management software, VERITAS Storage Foundation^TM for Networks on the Cisco® MDS 9000 Series of Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches.

VERITAS and Cisco are delivering an integrated solution, which helps customers reduce costs by offering a common point and methodology of managing disk devices from multiple vendors at the network layer. VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks software provides IT organizations with the flexibility to manage storage environments with market leading volume management/virtualization software¹ from VERITAS while leveraging Cisco's storage networking hardware.

"With explosive data growth, budget control pressures and the increasing complexity and evolving nature of IT and networking environments, the need to consolidate resources and drive efficiencies is critical," said Arthur Amos, Head of Technology Support, Nationwide Building Society. "By providing a central point in the network to manage storage, a network-centric architecture promises to improve utilization through consolidation of storage services, and therefore allows us to efficiently manage our storage resources and reduce costs."

VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks software includes break-through technology for switch-based storage virtualization in heterogeneous network environments. VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks runs on the Cisco Advanced Services Module "ASM" and operates through Fibre Channel ports, providing true network based functionality from within the Cisco MDS 9000 switch. This enables storage virtualization and granular storage provisioning from a central, consolidated location, making data more accessible across heterogeneous server and storage environments. By consolidating storage management services in the network, IT organizations are able to improve utilization, lower management overhead and ultimately reduce their overall operation and management costs.

Network-hosted virtualization on the Cisco MDS 9000 provides a level of integration with intelligent SAN services that is unavailable to host-based or appliance-based virtualization solutions. The Cisco MDS 9000 platform with the integrated Advanced Services Module delivers the intelligence and advanced features required to make multilayer intelligent storage area networks a reality, including hardware-enabled innovations that dramatically improve scalability, availability, security, and manageability of storage networks — resulting in increased utility and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Additionally, the VERITAS Storage Resource Management (SRM) solution, SANPoint Control 3.6 provides centralized management of the Cisco MDS 9000 series of Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches and VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks. Seamlessly integrating policy and performance management, storage provisioning, and zoning capabilities, VERITAS SANPoint Control simplifies the complex tasks involved in managing and monitoring a multi-vendor networked storage environment.

VERITAS makes its storage virtualization software available across heterogeneous servers, storage, and operating systems giving organizations the freedom to create the storage management environment that best meets their needs. By helping to provide higher performance, increased availability and automation on a shared, heterogeneous infrastructure, VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks takes customers one-step closer to VERITAS' vision of enabling utility computing.

"As a premier solution provider for both VERITAS and Cisco, Forsythe is excited to work with these industry leaders to bring their joint solution to market," said David Nolan, vice president, Forsythe Solutions Group. "Data and storage networks continue to grow in size and complexity, creating the need for better management. Network based virtualization offers customers an exciting new solution for their environments, while promoting cost savings, increased flexibility and control."

"The storage networking industry as a whole has been driving to offer customers simpler ways to manage their disparate storage resources that are distributed throughout their enterprise," said Soni Jiandani, vice president of Marketing for the Storage Technology Group at Cisco. "Through the VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks on the Cisco MDS 9000, the two companies have delivered a solution that simplifies the complex IT storage environment and allows customers to gain control of capital and operating costs through consistent and automated management of storage."

"The evolving storage market and network consolidation are bringing industry leaders Cisco and VERITAS together to solve common business problems," said Mark Bregman, executive vice president of product operations, VERITAS Software. "Businesses now have the flexibility to implement storage management technology wherever they want it - enabling them to choose the solution that best meets their application and business requirements."

Pricing and Availability

VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks is available immediately in standard and enterprise versions. The product is licensed in bundles of HBA and Storage Controller ports with prices starting at $12,000.

To ensure customer satisfaction, VERITAS Storage Foundation for Networks is available through the VERITAS Emerging Technology Assurance Program (ETAP). The program provides customers with added support during the implementation and early deployment stage of the product.

About VERITAS Software

With revenues of $1.5 billion in 2002, VERITAS Software ranks among the top 10 software companies in the world. VERITAS Software is the world's leading storage software company, providing data protection, storage management, high availability and disaster recovery software to 99 percent of the Fortune 500. VERITAS Software's corporate headquarters is located at 350 Ellis Street, Mountain View, CA, 94043, tel: 650-527-8000, fax: 650-527-8050, e-mail: vx-sales@veritas.com, Web site: www.veritas.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information on Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com.

This press release may include estimates and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that we will not gain market acceptance of our products and services, the risk that we will not be able to maintain the quality of our end-user customer and partnering relationships, and the risk that we will not manage our business effectively, that could cause the actual results we achieve to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. For more information regarding potential risks, see the "Factors That May Affect Future Results" section of our most recent report on Form 10-K on file with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Copyright© 2003 VERITAS Software Corporation. All rights reserved. VERITAS, the VERITAS Logo, SANPoint Control, VERITAS Storage Foundation, and all other VERITAS product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of VERITAS Software Corporation. VERITAS and the VERITAS Logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. CISCO, CISCO SYSTEMS, the CISCO logo, and all other CISCO product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product names and/or slogans mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

¹ DiCenzo, C. "2002 Storage Management Software Market Share." April 2003. Gartner.