Attune Systems, Inc., a provider of enterprise-class network file management solutions, today announced that it has been selected to the Byte and Switch exclusive "Top 10 Startups to Watch" list. The article states that "while the other file virtualization products are Linux-based, Attune's Maestro File Manager is built on the Windows-based CIFS protocol, which it claims makes it easier to set up and manage in a Microsoft shop than its competitors. It also provides the startup a powerful ally in Redmond."

The article further highlights the fact that "being CIFS-based and a Microsoft partner gives Attune a leg up on Linux-based virtualization vendors when it comes to developing their products to work well with CIFS. "

Attune Systems announced its Microsoft premier OEM partnership this past August, prior to joining the company in the Microsoft Partner Pavilion at Storage Decisions in New York. Information about the partnership can be found at www.attunesystems.com/news.html .

Brad O'Neill, storage analyst from the Taneja Group and author of the Network File Management (NFM) category, is quoted in the article regarding the selection. "Attune is Windows-centric, and 90 percent of files in that [file server] environment are Windows," said O'Neill. "If I'm Microsoft, I'm overjoyed there's a player out there building on our platform. Now if they can drive that relationship into Microsoft's channel, they're in good shape."

"Because of the publication's vantage point regarding storage-oriented challenges and unique customer solutions, we see it as significant that Byte and Switch has recognized Attune as a start-up leader in the file virtualization space," said Daniel Liddle, Attune's vice president of marketing. "This is a defining year in the life of our company, the year when we launched our first solution, and it's exciting to receive industry recognition and gain market traction so quickly."

Attune's file virtualization appliance, the Maestro File Manager FM5500(TM), allows system administrators to gradually deploy the latest NAS virtualization solutions and provide global namespace across their heterogeneous Windows-based environments. Maestro supports three concurrent operational stages: out-of-band discovery, native mode and extended mode. It also includes detailed resource discovery, alerts, reporting and proactive intervention to avoid disruption and maintain business continuity.

To read the Byte and Switch article about Attune, go to http://www.byteandswitch.com/document.asp?doc_id=103313&page_number=3 .

Byte and Switch was launched in June 2001 by Light Reading to address enterprise users' need for clear, concise information about the exploding field of storage networking. Byte and Switch delivers the latest news and analysis of the technology, people, and partnerships that shape and transform the storage industry's landscape.