Red Hat Releases Beta of Red Hat Linux for Itanium(TM)-Based Systems

Beta Release of Leading Linux Platform Available for the Intel® ItaniumTM Architecture

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—December 19, 2000—Red Hat, Inc. (NASDAQ:RHAT), the leader in developing, deploying and managing open source Internet infrastructure solutions, announced today the immediate public availability of the Beta version of Red Hat Linux for ItaniumTM-based systems. This is the first publicly available beta from Red Hat for Intel's forthcoming release of an Intel® ItaniumTM architecture and is available for public download at Red Hat's ftp site: ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/ia64.

Targeting the high-end server and workstation markets, the enhanced capacities of the Itanium architecture coupled with 64-bit Red Hat Linux provides the scalability and performance required in mission-critical applications and technical computing environments such as OLTP,data warehousing, and finite element analysis. With over 700 core software packages enabled in this OS including tools, databases and utilities, Red Hat provides the necessary level of support for the next generation of software development and deployment on Intel architectures.

Based on a pre-production release of the 2.4 Linux kernel, the ItaniumTM-based version of Red Hat Linux enables the enhanced performance and scalability of the Intel® ItaniumTM architecture and includes support for significantly increased memory and increased process limits required for enterprise computing.

Red Hat is working closely with Intel, OEMs, developers and ISVs to ensure that the release of Red Hat Linux for the Itanium processor coincides with the forthcoming release of the Itanium-based hardware and applications.

More information on becoming a member of the Red Hat Linux for Itanium architecture community, including support, training, and developer information can be obtained through Red Hat's Jumpstart program at http://www.redhat.com/products/IA64/Jumpstart.

Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat (Nasdaq:RHAT) offers users one single, trusted point of contact and a common platform for developing, deploying and managing open source across Internet infrastructure and devices that connect to the Internet, ranging from small embedded devices to high availability clusters and integrated web server/ecommerce OSes. And the Red Hat Network, Red Hat's unique management technology, helps companies worldwide easily manage it all by delivering open source products, service, support and information on-line in real-time.

In addition to the award-winning Red Hat Linux server operating system, Red Hat offers Stronghold Secure Web Server and Credit Card Verification Software for secure e-commerce and is the principle provider of GNU-based developer tools and support solutions for a wide variety of embedded processors. Red Hat also provides run-time solutions such as Linux, eCos, uClinux, the award-winning RedBoot, custom engineering services, support, and training from to organizations in all embedded and Linux markets.

Red Hat is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C. and has offices worldwide. Please visit Red Hat on the Web at http://www.redhat.com/index.html. For investor inquiries, contact Lippert/Heilshorn at (212) 838-3777.

Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release that are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, management's assessment of the market for embedded devices, constitute forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, Red Hat's ability to service the embedded device market, reliance upon strategic relationships, Red Hat's dependence upon an open source business model, reliance upon independent third-party Linux developers, management of growth, expansion of Red Hat's business focus and operations, the possibility of undetected software errors, the enforceability of the GNU General Public License and other licenses under which Red Hat's products are developed and licensed, the scarcity of Linux-based applications, the risks of economic downturns generally, and in Red Hat's industry specifically, the risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, the viability of the Internet, and other risks detailed in Red Hat's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/.

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