Silent, reliable, rugged and space saving, the MicroServer HP combines cutting-edge design technology with native x86 networking performance and compatibility

Taipei, Taiwan, 16 June 2003 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced the availability of the fanless MicroServer High Performance (HP) from NorhTec Corporation, based on the VIA Eden Platform; small enough to fit in your hand, yet powerful enough to deploy applications on Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or XP.

The Microserver HP implements networks in locations that are too small or lack the power to drive traditional networks, and is designed to work with other small servers as building blocks, allowing people to create networks in a modular fashion. They are complete solutions that do not require additional hardware or software for use as network gateways, firewalls, routers, or other devices that need to be neither seen nor heard while reliably operating 24/7.

“We are leading the way towards the new generation of connected computing by driving down the size and cost of networking systems that are able to operate just about anywhere while keeping up with the increasing demands of tomorrow’s software,” said Michael Barnes, President, NorhTec Corporation. “These systems must be small, energy efficient, rugged, and silent, which is why we chose the highly efficient VIA Eden Platform for the MicroServer High Performance.”

Taking full advantage of the VIA Eden Platform’s ultra low power consumption and industry leading levels of integration, the MicroServer HP is the size of a paperback novel and touts an innovative fanless cooling mechanism that efficiently transfers unwanted heat to the outer casing for dissipation into its surroundings. This leads to greater reliability because moving parts usually fail over time due to normal wear and tear. It also means that the MicroServer HP is virtually silent even when operating under full load.

“The VIA Eden Platform is leading the way to smaller, quieter and more reliable systems that are all important for today’s small office and home networking or communications applications,” commented Richard Brown, Associate Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “From networking and general productivity to entertainment systems, NorhTec’s small, quiet and reliable computing devices exhibit high levels of innovation and creativity for today’s environmentally conscious connected user.”

Measuring a mere 5.5 x 7 x 2 inches, the MicroServer HP supports regular 2.5” hard disk drives or solid state disks and operates at as little as 12.5 Watts. It uses a fanless 5V power supply and features rich I/O connectivity such as two USB ports, two LAN ports and interfaces for PC/104, floppy disk drive and compact flash memory devices.

The MicroServer HP supports virtually all x86 operating systems including Windows 9x, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows CE.NET, Windows XP embedded, GNU/Linux, BSD, and QNX. More information is available at: <http://www.via.com.tw/en/Products/eden_pias.jsp>.



About NorhTec Corporation

NorhTec's theme is “networking out of the box” meaning our products and services are simply and effectively networkable, and we use non-traditional approaches to make network computing cheaper and easier. NorhTec's technologies extend the boundaries of network computing so users can access the Internet from virtually anywhere. NorhTec Corporation is a Canadian based company with manufacturing facilities in Thailand.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc. is the foremost fabless supplier of market-leading core logic chipsets, low power x86 processors, advanced connectivity, multimedia, networking and storage silicon, and complete platform solutions that are driving system innovation in the PC and embedded markets. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA’s global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world’s top OEMs, motherboard vendors and system integrators. VIA is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE2388) and achieved annual revenues of over US$720 million in 2002. http://www.via.com.tw