TRACE AFFEX AND DAX ARCHIVING SOLUTIONS

ENTER INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

FOR CD/DVD JUKEBOX PRODUCT LINE

DAX ARCHIVING SOLUTIONS TO HAVE EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE MARKETING RIGHTS TO CYGNET JUKEBOXES

SAN JOSE, CA and HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS – October 2, 2001 – Trace Affex (www.traceaffex.com) has entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with DAX Archiving Solutions (www.daxarchiving.com) for the Trace Affex CD/DVD jukebox product line -- a Cygnet product line acquired by Trace Affex earlier this year. Under terms of their agreement, DAX Archiving Solutions will have the exclusive marketing rights to the id100/DVD100 jukebox product line manufactured by Trace Affex -- and will incorporate the jukeboxes into its smartDAX product line. Prior to the agreement, DAX was already using the jukeboxes in its network-attached smartDAX 100 and smartDAX 200 systems. The two companies will also explore the possibility of manufacturing complete smartDAX 100 and smartDAX 200 units, including net-attach hardware and software, at the Trace Affex facility in San Jose. The agreement takes effect on October 1, 2001.

“This partnership makes sense for both companies,” said Dave Kalstrom, president and CEO of Trace Affex. “Our id100/DVD100 jukeboxes have had wide acceptance in the industry. With their additional, powerful capabilities, the smartDAX products will create even more demand. As a result, we expect market penetration to significantly increase.”

“Our partnership with Trace Affex will be mutually beneficial,” agreed Kees Machielsen, president and CEO of DAX Archiving Solutions. “Ricoh Silicon Valley recently qualified the smartDAX 100 and smartDAX 200 for the Ricoh eCabinet product line. In addition, we will be introducing a new product, the eCabiDAX 100, that combines our smartDAX 100 capabilities with those of eCabinet. Ricoh expects a wide market for eCabinet, which is the first intelligent electronic filing system for archiving, sharing and finding important papers, faxes, digital files and e-mails.”

“The Trace Affex storage channel will be given the opportunity to join our channel and sell our entire smartDAX line,” Machielsen continued. “By combining sales channels, we will be able to develop many new opportunities.”

ABOUT smartDAX

The smartDAX product line from DAX Archiving Solutions consists of extendable DVD-based digital online systems that provide data archival and retrieval in UNIX, Windows and Macintosh environments. It integrates hardware and software, and offers a powerful set of archiving features that are software transparent, cost-effective and secure. smartDAX units can be combined to provide virtually unlimited TBytes of digital archive space. The combined units appear to the user as one giant hard disk or file system, and can be accessed as easily and almost as quickly as a CD-ROM drive. A single smartDAX appliance or a single server can provide one access point for all clients in the network and control all units. smartDAX is, in fact, the optimum combination of network-attached RAID technology integrated with DVD jukebox hardware and software.

ABOUT TRACE AFFEX

Trace Affex is a leading provider of CD-R duplication and printing solutions, and CD/DVD storage systems. The company offers a wide variety of CD-R duplication and full-color printing systems to meet every application – from large-capacity, automatic, robotic systems for mass duplication to single-disc, high quality systems for small businesses, studios and home offices. Trace Affex’ automated line includes PowerWriter CD (CD duplicator), PowerPrinter (CD printer) and PowerScribe (all-in-one CD duplicator and printer). It recently introduced the Affex CD-Artist IV for PCs and MACs, the first CD printer to use HP’s powerful, color ink-jet technology. It also offers small-to-high capacity DVD/CD systems in a broad range of configurations for archival storage, data distribution, digital asset management and web-based applications.

Trace Affex has over 17 years of experience in developing and manufacturing industrial-grade, automated duplication equipment. Originally named Trace Digital LLC, it was spun off from Trace Products (which was founded in 1983). In 1999, Trace Digital acquired Affex, an industry leader in the full-color ink-jet CD printer market. In 2001, it merged with its Affex division, and became Trace Affex. It also acquired the Cygnet Storage Solutions product line in 2001.

Trace Affex Headquarters:

151 E. Brokaw Road, San Jose, CA 95112

Phone: 408-441-8040 or 1-888-TRACE-88

Fax: 408-441-7259

Web sites: www.traceaffex.com and www.affex.com

ABOUT DAX ARCHIVING SOLUTIONS

DAX Archiving Solutions (the newly adopted name for Chess DAX B.V.) is the leading manufacturer of network-attached data archives for CD and DVD. The DAX Archiving technology and system architecture are sophisticated and unique in the world of data archiving. DAX is part of the Chess Group (founded in 1989), which specializes in electronics and embedded software design.

Founded in 1997, DAX Archiving Solutions has worldwide headquarters in the Netherlands, and operations across Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.

DAX Archiving Solutions Corporate Headquarters is located at

Nieuwe Gracht 39, P.O. Box 5021, 2000 CA Haarlem, The Netherlands

Phone: +31 23 5149 170

Fax: +31 23 5149 198

Web: http://www.daxarchiving.com and http://www.smartdax.com

DAX Archiving Solutions U.S. Headquarters is located at:

26071 Merit Circle, Ste.108, Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Phone: 949-348-8250

FAX: 949-348-3947

PRESS CONTACTS:

Dave Kalstrom, Trace Affex