Sphere 3D Announces Strategic Alliance With Atos to Provide Virtualization Solutions

SAN JOSE, CA and MISSISSAUGA, ON--(Marketwired - Jan 5, 2015) - Sphere 3D Corporation (NASDAQ: ANY), a virtualization technology and data management solutions provider, today announced a strategic alliance with Atos SE (Societas Europaea), an international leader in digital services, to deliver Sphere 3D's next generation software-defined virtualization solutions to Atos' customers. Through the strategic alignment between Sphere 3D and Atos, Sphere 3D's V3 series of hyper-converged virtual desktop appliances and Glassware 2.0® application virtualization platform will be added to expand the Atos technology products portfolio. Additionally, the companies will collaborate to develop a joint sales, marketing and delivery strategy.

Sphere 3D's V3 desktop cloud computing architecture provides a turn-key appliance solution that eliminates the performance issues, installation challenges and unpredictable scalability associated with traditional VDI. The V3 offering will include a proprietary cloud services portal that automatically provisions and delivers virtual desktops and applications, thus simplifying the desktop-as-a-service delivery model. Sphere 3D's Glassware 2.0 is uniquely positioned to address the increasing demand for a hyper-converged solution that virtualizes the most demanding modern and legacy applications.

Atos is a recognized global leader for delivering innovative cloud and virtualization solutions and the selection of Sphere 3D's V3 and Glassware virtualization products offers new solutions to address the needs of Atos' enterprise customers. This alliance strengthens Sphere 3D's presence and broadens its cloud services deployments through Atos as Sphere 3D continues its global rollout plan to deliver integrated and converged VDI offerings with increased performance, simplicity, security and mobility.

This alliance with Sphere 3D follows Atos' recently announced intention to acquire Xerox's Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) business and to become a primary IT services provider for Xerox. That transaction would enable new levels of collaboration in client situations and innovative solutions leveraging Atos' world-class ITO capabilities and highlighting Xerox's BPO and document outsourcing expertise.

About Atos
Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a global digital services leader with 2013 pro forma annual revenue of approximately EUR 10 billion and 86,000 employees in 66 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides Consulting & Systems Integration services, Managed Services & BPO, Cloud operations, Big Data & Cyber-security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, the Group works with clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, and Worldline. For more information, visit http://www.atos.net.

About Sphere 3D
Sphere 3D Corporation (NASDAQ: ANY) is a virtualization technology and data management solutions provider with a portfolio of products that address the complete data continuum from active data to data at rest. Dedicated to continue to lead through innovation, Sphere 3D enables the integration of virtual applications, virtual desktops, and storage into workflow, and allows organizations to deploy a combination of public, private or hybrid cloud strategies. Sphere 3D's Glassware 2.0 platform delivers virtualization of some of the most demanding applications in the marketplace today, making it easy to move applications from a physical PC or workstation to a virtual environment. Sphere 3D's V3 converged infrastructure solutions include one of the industry's first purpose-built appliances for virtualization and the Desktop Cloud Orchestrator™ management software for VDI. Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Sphere 3D, provide an integrated range of technologies and services for primary, nearline, offline, and archival data storage through their data storage, data management and data backup brands, SnapServer®, SnapScale®, SnapSAN®, NEO® and RDX®, that make it easy and cost-effective to manage different tiers of information over the data lifecycle. For more information, visit www.sphere3d.com, www.overlandstorage.com, and www.tandbergdata.com. 

Overland Storage, SnapServer, SnapScale, SnapSAN and NEO are trademarks of Overland Storage, Inc., and Tandberg Data and RDX are trademarks of Tandberg Data Holdings, S.à r.l. that may be registered in some jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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 businesses of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Overland Storage and Tandberg Data; any increase in Sphere 3D's cash needs; possible actions by customers, suppliers, competitors or regulatory authorities with respect to Sphere 3D; and other risks detailed from time to time in Sphere 3D's periodic reports filed with the SEC, including, without limitation, risks detailed in the Form F-4/A relating to Sphere 3D's merger with Overland filed by Sphere 3D with the SEC. 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.