Sphere 3D’s Partnership with Tech Data Provides End Users a Strong Avenue for Accessing Glassware 2.0 and SnapCLOUD Applications on Microsoft Azure

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY), a containerization, virtualization and data management solutions provider, and parent company of Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, is pleased to announce an agreement with Tech Data to work with channel partners that are committed to helping customers expedite their deployment of Sphere 3D’s hybrid Cloud solutions through both Azure and on premise private Cloud offerings. Tech Data engineers will provide application and infrastructure architecture guidance, making it easy for resellers and customers to succeed in their hybrid Cloud deployments.

Sphere 3D’s Glassware 2.0™ container technology handles the burden of moving line of business and legacy applications to a Cloud model.   The availability of Glassware 2.0 on both Azure and Sphere 3D private Cloud appliances ensures that business applications can be delivered through a hybrid Cloud model that is intended to simplify the deployment of those applications, create predictable costing models, scale and bring a new perspective to the hybrid Cloud conversation.

This approach provides organizations the ability to choose which workloads are being placed in the Cloud, while others remain on premise, yet maintains the “vehicle” needed to easily move application workloads from on premise to the Cloud and vice versa. Organizations can now manage large applications, development/test environments, scalability and highly secured applications with the same Cloud concepts, manageability, orchestration, automation, and the pooling of resources.   

Sphere 3D’s SnapCLOUD™ virtual storage platform supports critical performance and capacity features including high-performance snapshots, replication, and block and file-level access. With the SnapSync™ built-in sync and share functionality, customers also get data access anywhere, anytime on any device without the need for additional third-party subscriptions. SnapCLOUD extends the flexibility and options for customers to obtain unlimited storage in the cloud while maintaining full compatibility with existing SnapServer® and SnapScale® enterprise storage deployments.

Sphere 3D showcased its solutions for the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform, Glassware 2.0 windows containers and SnapCLOUD virtual storage at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) 2016, with partner Tech Data.  The solutions run between the Azure Cloud platform and Sphere 3D’s on premise private Cloud deployments, creating hybrid Cloud capabilities.

“Sphere 3D’s early commitment to Microsoft Azure gives them the advantage of leveraging the broad portfolio of Azure services,” said Nicole Herskowitz, senior director of product marketing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Corp. “We’re excited about their partnership to combine their offerings with Microsoft Azure for a natural progression to the hybrid Cloud business model for their partners and end users.”

“This is very exciting for our solution providers looking to grow their Cloud businesses. The combination of Sphere 3D and Microsoft offerings will not only allow hosting providers, organizations and MSPs to operate their own compatible instances of Azure, but they’ll be able to sell, deploy and manage it in their customers’ own data centers,” said Chuck Bartlett, senior vice president, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions at Tech Data. “This type of flexibility opens up great opportunities to enhance data privacy or access specialized hardware support for applications while delivering all the benefits of Cloud at the same time.”

“As members of the Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance, we are pleased to continue to expand our relationship with Microsoft and leverage the full power and roadmap of Azure,” said Peter Tassiopoulos, president, Sphere 3D. “Microsoft Azure provides the flexibility our customers want to deploy our Glassware 2.0 and SnapCLOUD solutions in public, private and hybrid Cloud environments. In addition, with the assistance of the expertise available from Tech Data, our partners have excellent support for customer success.” 

About Tech Data
Tech Data Corporation is one of the world’s largest wholesale distributors of technology products, services and solutions. Its advanced logistics capabilities and value-added services enable 105,000 resellers to efficiently and cost effectively support the diverse technology needs of end users in more than 100 countries. Tech Data generated $26.4 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2016. It is ranked No. 108 on the Fortune 500® and one of Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies.”  To learn more, visit www.techdata.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Sphere 3D 
Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) delivers industry renowned data management, and desktop and application virtualization solutions via hybrid Cloud, Cloud and on-premise implementations through its global reseller network.  Sphere 3D, along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, has a strong portfolio of brands including Glassware 2.0™, NEO®, SnapCLOUD™, SnapScale®, SnapServer®, SnapSync™, RDX® and V3®.  For more information, visit www.sphere3d.com. Follow us on Twitter @Sphere3D, @overlandstorage, and @tandbergdata.

Media Contacts:
Eileen Elam
408-283-4734 
media.relations@sphere3d.com  

Nick Foot
BWW Communications
+44-1491-636393 
Nick.foot@bwwcomms.com 

Investor Contact:
Blueshirt Group
Michael Bishop
415-217-4968
mike@blueshirtgroup.com 

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, unforeseen changes in the course of Sphere 3D’s business or the business of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Overland Storage and Tandberg Data; any increase in Sphere 3D’s cash needs or our inability to obtain additional debt or equity financing; market adoption and performance of our products; the level of success of our collaborations and business partnerships; possible actions by customers, partners, suppliers, competitors or regulatory authorities; and other risks detailed from time to time in Sphere 3D’s periodic reports and other filings with Canadian securities regulators (www.sedar.com) and in the periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). Sphere 3D undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.