<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION -----------------------------
FORM 5 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB APPROVAL
- -------- -----------------------------
/ / CHECK BOX IF NO LONGER ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OMB NUMBER: 3235-0362
SUBJECT TO SECTION 16. EXPIRES: SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
FORM 4 OR FORM 5 OBLI- Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN
GATIONS MAY CONTINUE. Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or HOURS PER RESPONSE .... 1.0
SEE INSTRUCTION 1(b). Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 -----------------------------
/ / FORM 3 HOLDINGS REPORTED
/ / FORM 4 TRANSACTIONS REPORTED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S><C>
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
Frey Alexander H. Tricord Systems, Inc. TRCD ---- ----
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X Officer (give Other (specify
(Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS or Social Security 4. Statement for ---- title ---- below)
Number of Reporting Month/Year below)
Person (Voluntary) V.P. Architecture
388 Waycliffe North Dec/1998 --------------------------
- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
(Street) 5. If Amendment, 7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting
Date of Original (check applicable line)
(Month/Year) X Form Filed by One Reporting Person
---
Form filed by More than One
Reporting Person
Wayzata MN 55391 ---
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I -- NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Security 2. Trans- 3. Transac- 4. Securities Acquired (A) or 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature of
(Instr. 3) action tion Disposed of (D) Securities ship Indirect
Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: Beneficial
(Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Ownership
(Month/ end of (D) or (Instr. 4)
Day/ ------------------------------ Issuer's Indirect
Year) Amount (A) or Price Fiscal Year (I)
(D) (Instr. 3 (Instr. 4)
and 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 10/15/98 A* 1,600 A $.469
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 10/30/98 A* 1,500 A $.50
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/13/98 A* 750 A $1.00
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/30/98 A* 1,333 A $.563
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 12/15/98 A* 375 A $2.00
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 12/31/98 A* 334 A $2.25
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/3/98 J** 77,419 D $.969
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 11/3/98 A*** 150,000 A $.50 210,892 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Shares of Common Stock issued as payment for compensation amounts owed by Issuer to Reporting Person
under 1998 Stock Incentive Plan in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b3.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** Forfeiture of restricted Common Stock in a transaction previously exempt under Rule 16b3.
*** Grant of restricted Common Stock in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b3.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see instruction 4(b)(v). (Over)
SEC 2270 (7/97)
POTENTIAL PERSONS WHO ARE TO RESPOND TO THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS FORM ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RESPOND UNLESS THE FORM DISPLAYS
A CURRENTLY VALID OMB CONTROL NUMBER.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FORM 5 (CONTINUED) TABLE II - DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
(e.g., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Trans- 5. Number of 6. Date Exer-
(Instr. 3) sion of action action Derivative cisable and
Exercise Date Code Securities Ac- Expiration
Price of (Month/ (Instr. 8) quired (A) or Date
Deriv- Day/ Disposed of Month/Day/
ative Year) (D) Year)
Security (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
--------------------
Date Expir-
---------------------- Exer- ation
cisable Date
(A) (D)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option $.50 10/9/98 A 50,000 * 10/9/08
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(right to buy)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option $.656 12/7/98 A 200,000 ** 12/7/08
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(right to buy)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Title and Amount of Under- 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Na-
lying Securities of of Deriv- ship ture of
(Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative of Indirect
ative Secur- Deriv- Bene-
Secur- ities ative ficial
ity Bene- Secur- Owner-
(Instr. ficially ity: ship
5) Owned Direct (Instr. 4)
- ------------------------------------ at End (D)
of Year or In-
Amount or (Instr. 4) direct
Title Number of (I)
Shares (Instr. 4)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 50,000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 200,000 540,000 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:
* Exercisable 25% annually beginning 12 months after date of grant.
** Exercisable 25% 12 months after date of grant, one forty-eighth (1/48th)
monthly thereafter.
/s/ Alexander H. Frey 2/12/99
----------------------------------- -----------
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute **Signature of Reporting Person Date
Federal Criminal Violations. SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, SEE Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the
form displays a currently valid OMB number. Page 2
SEC 2270 (7-97)
</TABLE>