CMP Media's CRN Announces the Ultimate Custom Solution Award Winners

'Ultimate' Solutions Built for PC, Server, and Storage by the CRN Test Center; Awards Recognize Outstanding Technology Vendors in 26 Product Categories

PRNewswire-FirstCall
SAN DIEGO
May 9, 2003

CMP Media's CRN, the newsweekly for builders of technology solutions, today announced the winners of the Ultimate Custom Solutions Awards. The CRN Test Center has been building the Ultimate PC™ in front of a live audience since 1997. This is the first year the CRN Test Center created the Ultimate Server™ and Ultimate Storage™. Each of the demonstrations was built in front of a live audience. The awards were presented at the Ultimate Custom Solutions events at CMP's XChange Tech Builder Conference at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego. The Ultimate PC™ was sponsored by Microsoft, the Ultimate Server™ was sponsored by Kingston Technology, the Ultimate Storage™ was sponsored by Maxtor/BuildIT.org.

The Ultimate Custom Solutions event included three separate and live demonstrations where the CRN Test Center built the Ultimate PC™, Ultimate Server™, and Ultimate Storage™ to see how far limits can be pushed with today's technology, by selecting best-of-breed components. The Ultimate Custom Solutions series of events concluded with a cocktail party to raffle off all the products to XChange Tech Builder attendees.

Throughout the year, the Director of CRN Labs, John Yacono and his lab team select, test, and review the most cutting-edge technology available on the market to create these solutions. The end results are solutions that use the most innovative, feature-rich, and reliable products manufactured by today's top vendors.

The CRN Test Center rated the vendor partners on product criteria such as quality, functionality, performance, and innovation. John Yacono, the director of CRN Labs, presented awards to executives from the winning companies. The 2003 Ultimate Custom Solutions winners are as follows:

   Ultimate PC
   * Display: Samsung
   * DVD/CD Drive: Sony
   * Floppy Disk Drive: Mitsumi
   * Hard Drive/Capacity: Maxtor
   * Hard Drive/Performance: Seagate
   * Keyboard: Logitech
   * Memory: Kingston Technology
   * Motherboard: Intel
   * Mouse: Gyration
   * NIC: Netgear
   * Power Supply: Jageson Technology
   * Processor: Intel
   * SCSI HBA: Adaptec
   * Sound System: Creative Labs
   * Speaker System: Telex
   * System Case: Antec
   * Video System: ATI

   Ultimate Server
   * DVD/CD Drive: Sony
   * Hard Drives: Seagate
   * Management Card: Megatrends
   * Memory Modules: Kingston
   * Motherboard: Intel
   * Processor: Intel
   * System Server Case: Intel

   Ultimate Storage
   * Hard Drives: Maxtor
   * White-Box NAS Chassis: Xtore Extreme Storage

"This year we were excited to build 'ultimate' solutions for server and storage as well as the PC," said John Yacono. "We worked hard throughout the year to select and test the best of breed solutions. We enjoyed unveiling the technologies we identified and building these extraordinary solutions."

About CRN and CRN Test Center

CRN is the nation's leading trade newsweekly that provides timely industry news and analysis for solution providers, integrators and e-businesses building technology solutions. It is the most trusted source of news for 117,500 channel professionals. A media leader in the high-tech industry, CRN provides the most comprehensive suite of online resources: http://www.crn.com/, the site where industry news breaks first; CRN Direct, a daily newsletter that brings personalized news to solution providers' desktops; and CRN Broadcast News, a daily news broadcast covering the solution provider channel and the industry.

The CRN Test Center is the technology-evaluation department of CRN, providing unbiased product, technology and channel-program analysis specifically targeted at solution providers. The CRN Test Center produces single-product reviews, technology news, technology demonstrations at tradeshows, and product roundups featuring channel-program evaluations. Top products receive the coveted "Editor's Choice" or "Recommended" designations

About CMP Media LLC

CMP Media LLC (www.cmp.com) is a leading integrated media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum-the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. Capitalizing on its editorial strength, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated media solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Its diverse products and services include newspapers, magazines, Internet products, research, direct marketing services, education and training, trade shows and conferences, and custom publishing.

   Contact:
   Ramona Castaldo
   CRN
   516.562.7219
   rcastald@cmp.com

SOURCE: CRN; CMP Media LLC

CONTACT: Ramona Castaldo of CRN, +1-516-562-7219, rcastald@cmp.com

Web site: http://www.crn.com/
http://www.cmp.com/

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