Qualstar : Releases Qi Desktop LTO Mac Tape Storage Solution

Investor Relations:	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Steven N. Bronson, CEO
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Qualstar Releases Qi Desktop LTO Mac Tape Storage Solution

The compact, portable new single-drive tape system extends the convenience and ease-of-use

of the original Qi to macOS users

IRVINE, Calif.-April22, 2021-Leading data storage solutions provider Qualstar Corporation(OTC Markets: QBAK) today introduces the Qi Desktop LTO Mac, a new product that extends the benefits of the company's single-drive, magnetic tape Qi system to users of macOS devices. Through a partnership with network and storage connectivity manufacturer ATTO, the Qi Desktop LTO Mac includes an ATTO ThunderLink® adapter that grants connectivity to Thunderbolt interfaces.

This new functionality adds further versatility to the Qi, which is already compact and portable enough to be transported between jobsites. One of the Qi's key markets is the media and entertainment industry, which utilize digital imaging technician (DIT) carts to carry equipment when filming on location. The Qi Desktop LTO Mac is ideal for this application, servicing its size constraints and the widespread preference for macOS devices among A/V professionals. When equipped with an LTO-8 drive, the Qi can store up to 12 TB of data natively (30 TB compressed) on a single tape cartridge, which can then be easily distributed among all the team members working on a project.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer the exceptional storage capabilities and portability of the Qi to our macOS customers through our partnership with ATTO," says Steven N. Bronson, chairman, president, and CEO of Qualstar. "Once chiefly the domain of enterprise storage solutions, LTO tape's ongoing read/write speed increases have made it a storage solution that can benefit individuals and smaller teams as well."

ATTO ThunderLink interfaces with the 40 GB/s Thunderbolt 3 standard and is backward compatible with 20 GB/s Thunderbolt 2. It is also equipped with specialized data streaming technology that reduces latency, ensuring a smooth flow of data on to the tape and minimizing the need for redundant passes, increasing the lifespan of the cartridge. These measures ensure the Qi Desktop LTO Mac offers the singular performance and reliability that Qualstar customers have come to expect, on top of the robustness (maintains data integrity for up to 30 years) and security (encryption, WORM, physical isolation) offered by tape storage.

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About Qualstar Corporation

Qualstar Corporation was founded in California in 1984 to develop and manufacture digital storage solutions. By 1995, the company had concentrated its efforts on magnetic tape libraries used to store, retrieve, and manage digital data. Qualstar's libraries provide the ideal storage solution for the growing number of organizations that require a way to keep critical but rarely accessed information safe and secure for long-term storage. Backed by more than 35 years of experience, Qualstar has earned a reputation for trust and reliability. Today, the company offers a full range of tape libraries in various sizes and configurations to meet any requirements. It maintains a global footprint and is currently in the process of establishing a presence in China. Learn more at Qualstar.com

About ATTO

For over 30 years ATTO Technology, Inc. has been a global leader across the IT and media & entertainment markets, specializing in network and storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions for the most data-intensive computing environments. ATTO works with customers and partners to deliver end-to-end solutions to better store, manage and deliver data, often as an extension of their design teams. ATTO manufactures host adapters, smart NICs, storage appliances and controllers, intelligent bridges, Thunderbolt™ adapters, and software. ATTO solutions provide a high level of connectivity to all storage interfaces, including Fibre Channel, SAS, SATA, iSCSI, Ethernet, NVMe and Thunderbolt. ATTO is the Power Behind the Storage.Learn more at Atto.com