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                                                                   Exhibit 10.24

                              [TRICORD LETTERHEAD]

October 3, 1996

Mr. Alexander H. Frey
1570 Rose Villa Street
Pasadena, CA 91106

Dear Sandy:

On behalf of Tricord Systems, Inc., I am pleased to extend you the following
offer to join the Tricord Team as the Vice President, Architecture. This offer
letter replaces the offer letter dated May 16, 1996. You will report to me.
This offer is contingent upon successfully reaching an agreement of technology
acquisition between Tricord Systems, Inc. and Reliable Distributed Information
Corporation ("RDI").

The compensation for this position will be:

     1.   An annualized salary of $95,004, paid semi-monthly on the 15th and
          end of the month.

     2.   You will be eligible for a one time incentive compensation of $50,000
          payable based upon completion of Phase 2 of the C5 Project Completion
          Schedule as outlined below.

          The incentive compensation will be payable upon the successful
          commercial delivery of Phase 2 of RDI technology as defined in the
          product function specifications for the C5 I/O Subsystem Project
          Completion Schedule. (Expected July 31, 1997)

          Future annual incentive payments (1998 and beyond) will be based on
          the Annual Executive Compensation Plan.

     3.   Subject to approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of
          Directors at its next regularly scheduled meeting, an option to
          purchase 100,000 shares of Tricord Stock under the terms and
          conditions of the 1995 Stock Incentive Plan will be granted. The
          vesting schedule begins one year after Committee approval and is
          exercisable in four equal installments of 25% annually. The exercise
          price will be the fair market value (as defined for purposes of the
          1995 Stock Incentive Plan) on the day of the Committee meeting.
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Page Two
Mr. Alexander H. Frey
October 3, 1996

It is expected that you will relocate to Minnesota by January 1, 1997. To assist
with your relocation, the Company will pay or reimburse you for your relocation
expenses which will include moving and travel costs, temporary living expenses,
the actual reasonable cost of the physical relocation of your household goods to
your new residence, commissions and other selling costs associated with the sale
of your home in California (excluding points) up to a maximum aggregate amount
of $50,000, plus a "gross-up" for taxes to the extent such amounts are
includable in your income but not deductible for tax purposes.

As a full time employee, you will have the opportunity to participate in the
Tricord Employee Benefit Package, subject to the eligibility requirements of the
various plans. Please refer to the Annual Benefits Summary and Enrollment Work
Booklet for further information.

You will be eligible to earn 160 hours (20 days) of personal time off for each
full year of employment at an accrual rate of 6.67 hours each complete pay
period. Personal time off is to be used for vacation, personal business, sick
days or unexpected emergencies.

I am looking forward to a start date of October 7, 1996. Before you may begin
employment, you must sign and return the enclosed Employee Agreement. On your
first day of employment you will also be asked to complete U.S. Department of
Justice, INS Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. Please see the
enclosed instructions for preparing and executing this form.

Please indicate your acceptance of this offer by signing and returning one copy
of this letter and your signed Employee Agreement by October 4, 1996 to the
following address:

     Kathy Glubetich
     Human Resources Generalist
     2800 Northwest Boulevard
     Plymouth, MN 55441-2625

     Fax: 612/551-6554
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Page Three
Mr. Alexander H. Frey
October 3, 1996

I am confident that you will make an immediate, substantial contribution to the
success and growth of Tricord and we are looking forward to having you on the
Tricord Team.

                         ACCEPTED: /s/ Alexander H. Frey
                                  ----------------------
                                  Alexander H. Frey

                         ACCEPTANCE DATE: 4 Oct '96
                                         ---------------

Yours Truly,

/s/ Cory Devor

Cory Devor, Ph.D.
Vice President, Systems Development<PAGE>
[TRICORD LOGO]
                                                                   Exhibit 10.25

February 7, 1996

Mr. Edward Pearsall
190 Parker Road
West Long Branch, NJ 07764

Dear Edward:

On behalf of Tricord Systems, Inc., I am pleased to extend you the following
offer to join the Tricord Team as the Vice President, Customer Service. You
will report to me.

The compensation for this position will be:

     1.   An annualized salary of $95,000.00. Tricord's pay periods are the 15th
          and the end of the month.

     2.   You will be eligible for an annual bonus targeted at $25,000.00,
          payable in the first quarter of 1997. We will guarantee 50% of the
          bonus for 1996 ($12,500.00). Payment of the remaining bonus will be
          based upon achievement mutually defined goals.

     3.   An option to purchase 75,000 shares of Tricord Stock under the terms
          and conditions of the 1995 Stock Incentive Plan will be granted; at
          the fair market value (as defined for purposes of the 1995 Stock
          Incentive Plan) at close of business on your start date. The vesting
          schedule begins one year from your start date and is exercisable in
          four equal installments of 25% annually.

It is expected that you will relocate to Minnesota. To assist with your
relocation, the Company will pay or reimburse you for your relocation expenses
which will include moving and travel costs, temporary living expenses, the
actual reasonable cost of the physical relocation of your household goods to
your new residence, commissions and other selling costs associated with the
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Page Two
Mr. Edward Pearsall
February 7, 1996

sale of your home in New Jersey (excluding points) up to a maximum aggregate
amount of $65,000.00, plus a "gross-up" for taxes to the extent such amounts are
includable in your income but not deductible for tax purposes.

As a full time employee, you will have the opportunity to participate in the
Tricord Employee Benefit Package, subject to the eligibility requirements of the
various plans. Please refer to the Benefits Summary and the Annual Benefits
Summary and Enrollment Work Booklet for further information.

Your expected start date is on or before February 26, 1996. Before you may begin
employment, you must sign and return the enclosed Employment Agreement. On your
first day of employment you will also be asked to complete U.S. Department of
Justice, INS Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. Please see the
enclosed instructions for preparing and executing this form.

Please indicate your acceptance of this offer by signing and returning this
letter and your signed Employment Agreement by February 9, 1996 to the
following address:

     Mika Hayden Kunz
     Director, Human Resources
     2800 Northwest Boulevard
     Plymouth, MN 55441-2625
     Fax: 612/557-8403

I am confident that you will make an immediate, substantial contribution to the
success and growth of Tricord and we are looking forward to having you on the
Tricord Team.

                                        ACCEPTED: /s/ Edward Pearsall
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Edward Pearsall

                                        ACCEPTANCE DATE: 8 February 1996

Sincerely

/s/ Thomas Robinson
-------------------------------------------
Thomas Robinson
Vice President, Domestic Sales and Services<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.26

Alexander Frey
388 Waycliff N
Wayzata, MN 55391

Dear Sandy:

This letter amends your 10/03/96 Employment Agreement/Offer Letter which set
forth your beginning compensation levels and has been approved by the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Except as expressly, set forth
herein, this letter does not in any way alter or amend the Employee Agreement
signed by you on 06/03/96.

In recognition of your current level of contribution, I am pleased to inform you
that your base salary will be increased to $170,000.00 (the "Base Amount"),
effective February 1, 2002. This base salary may be increased or decreased from
time to time by our Board of Directors, but may not be decreased below the Base
Amount. In addition, the amount of the annual bonus which you will be eligible
to receive if you satisfy your annual performance objectives will be determined
from time to time by the Board of Directors, will not be less than 25% of your
base salary in effect from time to time. In addition, Tricord will make the
following severance benefits available to you, if the following conditions are
satisfied:

         1.       Tricord terminates your employment without "cause", as that
                  term is defined in the Company's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan; or

         2.       You terminate your employment for "good reason" which is
                  defined as a significant reduction in your responsibilities, a
                  reduction in your base salary or requiring you to be based
                  more than 30 miles from where your office is located prior to
                  a Change in Control of the Company; and

         3.       You sign a full release of claims against Tricord in the form
                  designated by the Company.

The total amount of severance benefits which will be paid to you if the above
listed conditions are satisfied is a lump sum amount equal to such amount as is
determined from time to time by the Board of Directors, which shall not be an
amount less than the amount equal to 6 months of your then current base salary.
This offer is in lieu of, and not in addition to, any severance offers
previously extended to you by Tricord.

Nothing in this letter should be construed to create any contract rights to
continued employment, or to any set level of compensation. Your employment
status continues to be as an "at will" employee. Further, in addition to
permitted changes to your salary as set forth above, the percentage used to
calculate your bonus amount and the number of months of severance you may

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receive may be increased or decreased by Tricord from time to time in its sole
discretion, but never below 25% and 6 months, respectively. Provided, however,
that, in the event you satisfy the conditions of the severance offer described
above PRIOR TO a decision by Tricord to change and/or eliminate Tricord's offer
of severance benefits to you, you will be paid the severance benefits described
above unless you and Tricord reach an agreement to the contrary.

The terms of your Offer Letter/Employment Agreement and this letter amendment
shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Minnesota, without regard to conflict of law provisions that would defer to the
laws of another jurisdiction. The rights and obligations of you and Tricord
shall be governed by and determined in accordance with such laws.

We are confident that you will make a significant contribution to the success
and growth of Tricord in the coming year.

Sincerely,

/s/ Keith Thorndyke
Keith Thorndyke
President and CEO

Acknowledged and Agreed:

/s/ Alexander Frey
------------------------------
Alexander Frey

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