Hitachi's eight-way VisionBase 8880R powers interactive JCDecaux e-kiosks and enables Boston residents to perform multiple business transactions throughout the city

Hitachi Data Systems (NYSE:HIT) today announced that the City of Boston is using an eight-processor Hitachi VisionBase(tm) 8880R as the primary power source for its newly deployed high-speed interactive information system.

Called the Boston i, the system is comprised of 20 JCDecaux e-kiosks networked via Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) through a Hitachi VisionBase 8880R, ensuring easy access to secure, transaction-oriented terminals for a potential user-base of over 75 million people.

"The Hitachi VisionBase 8880R is the only Intel-based server on the market that can handle this much traffic and keep asking for more," said W. Todd Sims, director of information technology for the City of Boston. "Hitachi's eight-way server supports both our Web site and our new interactive e-kiosk implementation, continuously handling sudden spikes in traffic seamlessly. The blistering performance and rock-solid reliability that Hitachi's server delivers never ceases to amaze us."

The ultra-sleek JCDecaux terminals used in Boston's interactive information system feature a 20.1-inch diagonal screen with an Internet browser-type interface. Decaux's user-friendly touch screen environment offers both residents and tourists the ability to view the latest movie trailers or select from the largest array of entertainment information in the Boston area. In addition, users can search through a database of 1,200 restaurants and view food types, prices, ratings, and even get directions.

The database also features information pertaining to local and state museums, events, transportation information, as well as sports schedules and up-to-date scores. Besides all the fun, Boston residents can pay parking tickets and vehicle excise taxes by credit card from the e-kiosks as well.

"With the launch of this new networked e-kiosk implementation, the City of Boston is demonstrating again that Hitachi's Profusion(R)-based eight-way servers provide key business-enabling technology that ensures maximum performance, flexibility, and continuous availability in a myriad of critical e-transaction-based environments," said Lynn King, vice president and general manager of PC Servers, Hitachi Data Systems.

The JCDecaux e-kiosks are located in each of Boston's 13 neighborhoods, both indoors and outdoors, and are accessible a minimum of 18 hours per day. JCDecaux has assembled the e-kiosk database from a variety of sources including the City of Boston, Boston's Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Transportation Departments, newspapers, CinemaSource, Foodline.com, and others. Most of the information is updated on a daily basis.

The City of Boston has been using the VisionBase 8880R to power its burgeoning e-business Web site, www.CityofBoston.com, since December of last year. The server currently enables the city to sustain over 4 million Web hits per month and over 6,000 visitors per day.

Featuring the industry's first Intel(R) Profusion-based eight-way architecture, the VisionBase 8880R can be configured with up to eight Intel Pentium(R) III Xeon(tm) 550MHz processors with up to 2MB of Level-2 cache per processor, and up to 32GB of error checking and correcting (ECC) SDRAM. Its CPU, memory, disk drives, I/O, and network subsystems options are fully upgradeable.

The VisionBase 8880R is available immediately in the Americas, and can be purchased through Hitachi Data Systems' value-added resellers (VARs) - with selected configure-to-order options -- and is fully backed by Hitachi Data Systems' service and support. As part of the service and warranty program, Hitachi Data Systems provides toll-free, 24 by 7 customer support at 1-800-776-6747 or via email at [email protected]. Hitachi Data Systems' PC server management software -- Hitachi Systems Manager -- contains a predictive failure analysis component that will allow users, VARs, or their support organizations to order repair components or dispatch a service technician before a problem causes any "hard" errors.

About JCDecaux JCDecaux is the world's largest out-of-home media business. For over 35 years this privately held multi-national has entered public-private partnerships that provide amenities and services to the people of more than 31 countries. JCDecaux created the concept of Street Furniture, bus shelters, transit tracking systems, automated public pay toilets, and newsstands. From this base JCDecaux has become a leader in traditional out-of-home and other private sector products, both electronic and traditional. Headquartered in Paris, the company now has operations in Boston, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

For further information on JCDecaux Interactive and their line of e-kiosks, please access www.jcdecaux.com or contact their Boston office at 617/585-9935.

About Hitachi Data Systems Recognized as a leading provider of business solutions for the world's most IT-intensive corporations, Hitachi Data Systems offers professional services, multiplatform storage subsystems, and the industry's broadest line of high-performance servers. The company's extensive range of products and services, coupled with its business alliances with key industry leaders, enable it to transform IT into business agility for high-end and middle-market customers. Hitachi Data Systems is owned by Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) and has its headquarters in Santa Clara, California. For further information on Hitachi Data Systems, access www.hds.com.

Note: For further information on Hitachi Data Systems' VisionBase PC Server Family, access www.hds.com/visionbase. Hitachi Data Systems press releases are available at www.hds.com/news/press.html.

Hitachi Data Systems is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. VisionBase is a trademark of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks and Xeon is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Profusion is a registered trademark in the U.S., and a trademark elsewhere, of Corollary, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright (C) 1999 Business Wire

CONTACT:
Hitachi Data Systems
Steven Zivanic, 408/970-7971
[email protected]
OR
The Weber Group for Hitachi Data Systems:
Tracy Matsumoto, 650/463-8645
[email protected]

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Thanks Anna!