Performance Technologies and Sun Microsystems Collaborate on Packet-Based Technology for Sun's Netra Telecom Blade Servers

ROCHESTER, N.Y. and SANTA CLARA, Calif. - September 22, 2003 - Performance Technologies (Nasdaq NM: PTIX), a leader in unified systems design for the communications, military and commercial markets, and Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW) today announced a collaboration on technology for Sun's CompactPCI^� Packet-Switched Backplane (cPSB) products. The two companies will leverage their technologies into Sun's industry-leading, carrier-grade Netra blade platforms for telecommunications equipment manufacturers.

Sun will combine Performance Technologies' IPnexus� family of packet-based embedded products, including chassis, backplanes and Ethernet switches, with Sun's own Managed Object Hierarchy (MOH) capabilities, Processor Management Services (PMS), Netra HA Suite and Worldwide support. The result will be an embedded platform offering that tightly integrates system management, high availability functions and a packet-switched backplane interconnect.

"Sun is dedicated to providing technologies that matter to network equipment providers. Working with technology leaders like Performance Technologies is just one example of Sun's strategy to mix in-house R&D and product design with an OEM model to produce the best carrier-grade infrastructure solutions," said Arlen Vanderwel, vice president, Netra Systems Products Group, Sun Microsystems. "We've entered this relationship with Performance Technologies for our cPSB products as it is a leading developer of packet-based products based on PICMG^� standards and a long-time supplier to Sun."

Sun has provided network equipment providers (NEPs) with leading, standards-based, carrier-grade network computing solutions for years under the Netra brand. Sun has met wireless and telecom infrastructure computing needs with its NEBS-certified Netra blade and rack servers and unified high availability and management software in a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) package that accelerates service deployment and helps reduce NEPs' development costs. Sun's Netra telecom blade servers ensure that NEPs have long-term compatibility and PICMG standards support to power today's most innovative wireless IP services like SMS and MMS over 2.5G/3G networks and billing and tracking.

"We anticipate our newly expanded product offering will further develop the long-standing, close relationship between Performance Technologies and Sun Microsystems," said Don Turrell, president and CEO of Performance Technologies. "We're optimistic our combined technologies will produce an industry-leading, packet-based platform for the telecommunications equipment market, and we look forward to future developments."

About Sun Microsystems

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at www.sun.com.

About Performance Technologies

Performance Technologies (Nasdaq NM: PTIX) is a leading developer of unified embedded computing products and system-level solutions for the communications, military and commercial markets. Serving the industry for over 20 years, our packet-based products enable equipment manufacturers and carriers to provide highly available and fully-managed systems with time-to-market, performance and cost advantages.

Performance Technologies is headquartered in Rochester, New York. Additional operational and engineering facilities are located in San Diego and San Luis Obispo, California and Ottawa, Canada. For more information, visit www.pt.com.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor provisions of those Sections.

These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other factors, general business and economic conditions, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, cancellation or delay of customer orders including those relating to design wins, changes in the product or customer mix of sales, delays in new product development, customer acceptance of new products and customer delays in qualification of products. These statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements, the Notes thereto, and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Company as of December 31, 2002, as reported in its Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note to Editors: Brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders