OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced that its new ZD-XL SQL Accelerator has earned the Best of Interop® award in the Data Center & Storage category. This prestigious award recognizing OCZ’s innovation and technological advancements was presented on Tuesday, May 7th at the Interop Theater, Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

“We are very pleased to win the Best of Interop award for our ZD-XL SQL Accelerator in the Data Center & Storage category at one of the industry’s premier technology events for IT professionals who leverage leading-edge solutions to power their businesses,” said Ralph Schmitt, CEO for OCZ Technology.  “The award also represents a validation of our product strategy to drive innovative enterprise system solutions and we are proud to have this product be categorized with the likes of system powerhouses like HP and Dell.”

OCZ’s new ZD- XL SQL Accelerator is a tightly integrated, plug-and-play flash acceleration solution optimized for SQL Server deployments.  It represents the convergence of enterprise hardware and software as one tightly integrated, optimized solution ensuring that appropriate and readily available data is on SSD flash when a SQL Server needs it.  Plugging seamlessly into existing or new SQL Server installations, ZD-XL provides on-host application-optimized flash caching for SAN or DAS DB volumes enabling data to be accessed with the highest possible I/O performance.

“The Best of Interop Awards showcases IT vendors pushing the boundaries of technology,” said Andrew Conry-Murray, editor of Network Computing. “OCZ and each category winner demonstrate a commitment to innovation with a compelling offering deserving of recognition.”

The Best of Interop Judging Committee, comprised of 16 award-winning IT editors and analysts, reviewed nearly 150 entries and selected finalists based on the products with significant technical impact and the most potential of advancing the business technology market. The category areas that Best of Interop finalists were selected from included:

• Cloud Computing & Virtualization
• Data Center & Storage
• Management & Monitoring
• Networking
• Performance Optimization & Testing
• Security
• Wireless, Mobility & BYOD Support

For more information about OCZ’s award-winning Best of Interop ZD-XL SQL Accelerator, please visit ocz.com/enterprise