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Emeryville's Pictopia Lights Up Optical Connectivity!

Carrier Hotels Staff Posted Jul 28, 2004

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EMERYVILLE, California (June 30, 2004) Paxio, Inc. and The EmeryTech Data Center today announced that they have completed the first installation of their multi-gigabit optical fiber data network linking Emeryville businesses with EmeryTech Data Center and the Internet. Pictopia is the first customer to leverage this exceptional new resource for Emeryville businesses and residential developments.

Pictopia's business delivering museum-grade photographs to consumers across the U.S. has grown by leaps and bounds. In just eighteen months Pictopia's client list has grown from zero to 1,100 organizations. Pictopia's IT staff took up the challenge to accommodate this huge growth in demand.

The first step was for Pictopia to relocate their Internet servers to the EmeryTech Data Center. In making this move Pictopia's servers could handle the 100 times increase in Internet traffic. By leveraging EmeryTech's backup power, environmental attributes and site security, Pictopia has significantly enhanced the up-time and quality of service to its clients and consumers.

The next task was to figure out how to move Pictopia's specialized imaging computers out of its building and into Emery Tech -- no mean feat! Pictopia's internal image computing -- 64-bit Sun Solaris servers -- have to generate and deliver multi-gigabyte image files every five minutes to the darkrooms. Mark Liebman, Pictopia's founder and President said, "In order to relocate Pictopia's internal ’heavy-iron’ to EmeryTech, we needed to find a gigabit solution. We looked at roof-top digital radio solutions but found nothing for gigabit speeds anywhere close to our budget."

When PAXIO came to Emeryville to run optical fiber from the EmeryTech Data Center to local businesses, the solution for Pictopia was at hand. Pictopia could connect its facility to EmeryTech through Paxio's fiber at gigabit data rates. With this link in place, Pictopia could move its imaging servers into EmeryTech, with gigabit connectivity. "Now we're connected at full speed from our darkrooms all the way to our machines in EmeryTech. We couldn't do any better if we were on an academic supercomputing site," said Liebman

Two extra benefits resulted from its optical fibers connecting with EmeryTech. First, Pictopia was able to relay the Ethernet connectivity from EmeryTech right to the desktops of its office workers. This connectivity replaced the T-1 internet line which Pictopia had operated for several years, increasing Pictopia's Internet bandwidth 100-fold while realizing a significant monthly cost savings. Second, Pictopia relocated its internal Microsoft networking and CRM servers into the data center.

Sean Holzknecht, General Manager of EmeryTech Data Center said, "It's exciting to see what this product offering has done to help bullet-proof Pictopia's IT infrastructure and save the company money. There are now hundreds of businesses in Emeryville that will be able to take advantage of PAXIO's Gigabit Ethernet to their office as well as direct fiber connectivity to their colocation space at EmeryTech Data Center."

In summary, Liebman remarked, "While we've never had any disasters, it's easy to imagine any number of scenarios. Now with all of Pictopia's critical computing systems housed in the safe, controlled, cool environment of Emerytech Data Center we have enhanced the levels of service and reliability we provide for both ourselves and our clients. We are meeting the rapid growth challenges in our business now and for the future."

About Pictopia
Pictopia, located in Emeryville, Calif., is the premier photo commerce provider to the owners of large image collections, including the world's top media companies, enabling them to sell their photos and related products directly to consumers. Clients include the San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press, Gannett, Knight Ridder, The Washington Post and PowerOne Media. Pictopia also provides museum-grade photographic services to professional and amateur photographers, other photo labs, museums, galleries and corporations. For more information, please visit www.pictopia.com.

Pictopia Contact: Mark Liebman, President Pictopia.
http://www.pictopia.com Tel: 510-658-6500 ext. 101

About PAXIO
PAXIO Inc., a leader in private fiber deployments, provides complete fiber optic technology, communication and service solutions. With operations throughout California, PAXIO enables new and existing communities to improve broadband access 100 to 1000 fold over current options. Communities and business serviced by PAXIO benefit from virtually limitless broadband services allowing increases in productivity and quality of life.

Paxio Contact: Phillip Clark, President PAXIO,pclark@paxio.com
http://www.paxio.com Tel: 714-220-9160

About The EmeryTech Data Center
Located between Berkeley and Oakland in the East Bay's growing technology hub with easy access to San Francisco, our 15,000 square foot Emeryville, California data center offers cabinet, cage and custom colocation space. Ethernet connectivity, as well as roof rights for all wireless applications, is also available.

http://www.emerytech.com Tel: 510-652-7500