Today LaCie announced a new 2-bay network-attached storage solution (NAS) that delivers the ideal combination of speed and security for small businesses - the LaCie 2big NAS, design by Neil Poulton. Powered by a 2 GHz processor and improved file system, the 2big NAS delivers speeds up to 100 MB/s, ensuring employees can share files from any PC, Mac, or Linux workstation.

"According to data from Research and Markets, network storage is growing in excess of 30% annually, increasing the demands placed on network storage devices," said Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit Manager at LaCie. "The LaCie 2big NAS was developed to scale with the needs of SOHO users, delivering fast file sharing and data security, the two most critical factors for a small business."

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced its new additions for the high-end SMB market segment with two 16-drive 3U rackmount Turbo NAS models with up to 64TB storage capacity using 4 TB drives. The TS-EC1679U-RP and TS-1679U-RP, powered by the Intel Xeon processor and the Intel Core i3 processor respectively, are the highest capacity and highest performing NAS products ever developed by QNAP. Both models feature optional 10GbE networking and 6Gb/sec SATA interfaces, achieving incredible 2,000 MB/sec and 200,000 IOPS throughput; delivering sustained ultra-high performance suitable for demanding data center & high-end SMB environments. The new models feature cable-less disk drive backplanes, hot-swappable power supply, and cooling fan modules for maximum reliability and uptime.

Thecus is proud to present the first tablet in its lineup, ThecusPAD. With an innovative design, hardware and software, users are offered a powerful tablet that not only can browse the web, access media files and access GPS functions but can also install modules that allows Thecus NAS users to manage their NAS conveniently from their ThecusPAD.

Some key features of the stunning ThecusPAD includes a 7" HD display, which is great for watching HD videos and viewing high resolution photos. To add, capacitive touch screen adds a great feel when using the ThecusPAD. Stereo speakers illuminate a clear and crisp sound while playing music from ThecusPAD. Equipped with a micro-HDMI port and Thecus Utility, streaming seamless data from your NAS to your TV does not even require an adapter anymore.

VirusScan, otherwise known as McAfee Antivirus is the best safeguard measure to minimize and prevent virus attacks. With Thecus VirusScan module, users can rest assure that their vital data is protected with advanced features to eliminate possible threats. Thecus NAS now comes with free McAfee VirusScan module for maximum data security.

McAfee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation and is the world's largest dedicated security company, offering industry-leading, award-winning product which is a reason why Thecus decided to partner with them.

ORICO is working on a new line of slimline docks for Intel Ultrabook and Apple MacBook Air, which expand USB connectivity and provide an additional display output. Available in carbon black and white, the docks include a USB 3.0 hub with as many as five downstream USB 3.0 ports, a DisplayLink video adapter with DVI and HDMI output, and a gigabit Ethernet interface. The dock probably includes NAS functionality with mass storage devices attached to its USB ports. On top of all these, the dock includes fans to let it perform its primary function of cooling the Ultrabook or MacBook Air.

What is a bit and what exactly does it stand for? A bit stands for "binary digit," the set of numbers used by computing devices to process commands. A 32-bit system demonstrates great performance but if one is in need for improvement; 64-bit is the solution to solve bottlenecks. In short, 64-bit allows the system to calculate and process more data compared to the lesser 32-bit. Ultimately, Thecus upgrades the new 7-bay N77000PRO and 8-bay N8800PRO v2 models to 64-bit. Some key benefits of switching from 32-bit to 64-bit: improved performance, capability to process more data at a time, and better overall structure.

ORICO unveiled an interesting portable hard drive enclosure, which doubles up as a wireless NAS and internet access point. Called the WiDrive (model: WDX-8 625), the device can enclose one 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD, and share its contents over a secure wireless network (802.11 b/g/n). As an added value, it can also serve as a wireless internet access point, if an upstream wired internet connection is plugged into its 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. As a NAS, it packs most modern features, including SAMBA, FTP, Bit Torrent, iTunes server and Media Center. Its storage can be expanded by a USB 2.0 port (mass storage device). The enclosure draws power from an external AC adapter. ORICO plans to charge 899 RMB (US $142) for the WiDrive.

Thecus is proud to present itself as a technological innovator. Once again, Thecus releases an all new 5-bay N5550 server to lead the competition. The past proves merit: link aggregation, LCM display, USB 3.0, multi RAID functions and so on. Impressive technologies have been used to develop the new N5550 NAS to serve one single purpose: improve user experience and satisfaction.

Intel Atom CPU: silent power
Intel Atom CPUs are designed to work without fans. This will dramatically reduce NAS noise and power consumption. Associated with large amounts of DDR3, Intel Atom CPUs will provide much better performance. Don't be restricted to a 4-bay NAS, bring it up a notch, Thecus N5550 is available and boosts the best performance with a great price, without entering larger bay units. Multi-users environment, web hosting, intense backup, data encryption, application serving, heavy RAID computations, and HD multimedia streaming: welcome to the world of smooth multi-tasking!

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the industry's first 100 Gbps full duplex network processor unit (NPU). Enabling the next wave of 100GbE optimized switches and routers for service provider networks, the fully programmable BCM88030 family features 64 custom processors running at 1GHz, delivering more than 2X the throughput of any NPU on the market. With the industry's highest level of integration, the BCM88030 solution eliminates costly external components, dramatically reducing system cost and power by up to 80 percent per 10 GbE port.

In 2012, the number of connected devices is set to exceed the world's population with an estimated 7 billion devices connected to the network(1). By 2015, 90 percent of content viewed on mobile devices will be streaming video and application downloads are expected to reach 47 billion per year(1). To satisfy this overwhelming appetite for bandwidth, service providers around the globe are racing to transform their networks by adopting higher bandwidth links. Analysts estimate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 170 percent from 2011 to 2016 for 100G Ethernet ports as service providers rush to meet this demand(2).

Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAUP), the world's leading developer TV tuner products, has announced that Broadway, Hauppauge's live TV streamer for the iPad and iPhone, now has TV recording support. With this new feature, Broadway can record TV programs locally and then stream it to an iPad or iPhone at a later time. "Broadway" is a stand alone "box" which allows live TV to be watched on an Apple device in the home through a WiFi connection, or anywhere in the world via an Internet connection.

Broadway has-2 built in DVB-T Tuners supporting Freeview allowing users to watch one channel and simultaneously record another. Broadway also connects to cable or satellite set top boxes. Once connected to a TV source, Broadway can tune into a TV program and then either stream the live TV program to an iPad or iPhone, or, with the new feature, record the TV program to a locally attached storage device and then stream the recording at a later time.

Today at its annual partner conference, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced Partner Plus, a new global channel program targeting mid-sized customers. Partners who participate in the program will receive increased preference, investment and support in the form of business accelerators such as incremental incentives, engineering support, marketing and demand generation, sales enablement, and customer intelligence.

Partner Plus is a key pillar of Cisco's Partner Led strategy, which is designed to empower and reward channel partners to lead the sale with small and mid-sized customers. This approach combines the power of the partner sales force and Cisco's sales force in an innovative way to go after these market segments. This is part of the $75 million investment that Cisco announced in 2011 for enablement, systems, and support capabilities.

Synology Inc. today introduced the Plex Media Server package, which provides selected DiskStation and RackStation users with a complete media solution, hundreds of channels of online content, and the capability to stream the content to user's iOS and Android devices, Windows and Mac computers, and Roku Media Streamers. The Plex media server is developed by Plex.

Plex Media Server package seamlessly streams media content stored in DiskStation and RackStation to various devices, offering users with the convenience of browsing and watching their video collections anytime, anywhere. "We appreciate Plex's effort to develop a package for DiskStation and RackStation users. The Plex Media Server package brings users unified and unsurpassed media experience which is cost effective, flexible, and easy-to-use," said Darren Lin, product manager of Synology Inc.

Thecus and McAfee are teaming up to provide protection to NAS devices. Thecus is the first to bundle McAfee anti-virus software within a NAS to provide customers a trouble-free NAS experience.

Ultimate User Experience

This partnership sets new standards within the NAS community by recognizing the request of many users seeking virus protection and prevention. Users can rest assure that they'll be piloting a powerful yet reliable NAS system. This effort also fosters a friendly user experience by offering antivirus protection right out of the box.

Synology has confirmed a known system issue caused by flawed flash memory chips. This issue can occur when users reboot the DiskStation; the unit will not restart and the blue LED light will blink continuously. This issue does not affect data stored on the DiskStation and will not result in data loss.

The affected products include DS1512+ and DS1812+ worldwide, and DS212j for Asia shipments only. The best estimated quantity is 480, 120 and 700 units respectively and most of them have been returned or are on the way to Synology.

Not everyone can possess a rackmount NAS. If you don't have the specific infrastructure, it's not really convenient. However, it's apparent that everyone requires more and more storage space and file sharing! That's why Thecus came out with a brand new tower series with 6, 8 and 10-bay NAS. Each has been designed to be flexible and ideal for specific business network architecture.

TopTower N6850: Versatile Storage Solution

Thecus is known for releasing NAS of uncommon size to meet customers' needs. Between the already best-selling N5200XXX and the famous N7700 series, the N6850 perfectly fills the gap.

Featuring an Intel Pentium G620 Dual-Core 2.6 GHz and 2 GB of RAM, this NAS can pile up to 18 TB of data capacity. With this power, advanced RAID levels such as RAID10 or RAID50 can be enabled and won't suffer from CPU lag: not only is your data more secure, but transfers are even faster!

Ideal for multi-users, the N6850 is a premium choice for SMB users willing to centralize their data.

SGI, the trusted leader in technical computing, today announced the introduction of SGI NAS, a powerful, no-compromise, full-featured enterprise-class open storage solution that delivers maximum flexibility to IT managers who must master the challenges of inexorable data growth. As the first fully integrated solution in the SGI Modular InfiniteStorage product family, SGI NAS provides organizations with a full-featured platform that can start small and yet scale to multiple petabytes of unified storage according to business demands. This storage solution supports advanced enterprise architecture from virtualization to the complete lifecycle of data -from creation to archive - with a minimum of datacenter real estate.

Synology Inc. today launched RackStation RS2212+ and RS2212RP+, the reliable 10-bay rack mount NAS servers designed with seamless scalability for small and medium businesses.

"Synology RS2212+ and RS2212RP+, the newest addition to the Plus Series line-up, are a highly dependable and scalable solution for small and medium business owners. It delivers high system availability and storage capacity for mission-critical workloads, enabling clients to run business-critical applications with continual service uptime," said Peter Chen, Product Manager of Synology Inc.

Here's a unique device that renders three others obsolete, the TVPlug, by a Korean manufacturer of the name. This device combines the functionality of a WiFi-N router, a NAS server, and a home media center into a single device. The device includes a MIMO-capable 802.11 b/g/n wireless router with one WAN and two LAN ports. It provides two USB 2.0 ports, which connect to any USB Mass Storage-compliant devices (be it flash drives, portable hard drives, or even drive boxes. The device can act as a media server for all your iOs/Android devices (smartphones, tablets, and smart media players). Lastly, it can also play back videos to a TV.

Japanese company Princeton introduced the ProNAS DN-503AH-PDC-10T 5-bay NAS for small businesses, with 10 TB of pre-installed storage. Its storage controller supports SATA 3 Gb/s interface, with RAID 6 mode for data redundancy. The NAS is powered by Intel x86 architecture, an Intel Pentium Dual-Core 1.60 GHz processor, with 2 GB of DDR2-533 MHz memory drives the machine. Surprisingly, it features four gigabit Ethernet interfaces. A Linux-based OS drives the NAS, which supports most modern NAS technologies. Measuring 199 x 338 x 264 mm, the DN-503AH-PDC-10T weighs about 13 kg. Its price is not given out, but varies depending on the warranty and on-site maintenence packages that go with it.

Today LaCie announced its professional 5-bay RAID server is now available in a diskless model. Now, users can get all the benefits of the 5big Network 2, designed by Neil Poulton, but with the flexibility to scale their storage and security as they desire - making it an efficient investment for resourceful professionals and small businesses alike.

Scalability and Security

With the 5big Network 2 diskless model, users can migrate from zero to five disks without data loss - reducing initial investment while ensuring a long-term solution. The 5big Network 2 diskless model provides users with flexibility. They can leverage unused drives or purchase new drives based on availability and demand. It will automatically build the RAID mode accordingly. The 5big Network 2 also offers RAID modes 5 and 6, which provide automatic, hardware-level data protection. If a single disk fails, simply replace it without turning off the appliance or losing a single byte of data.

inXtron showed off its newest small-business NAS server at Intel Storage Forum, the Akitio MyCloud Pro. As the venue might suggest, this 2-bay desktop NAS is powered by Intel x86 architecture. inXtron even put is logic board for display, which revealed it to be driven by an Intel Atom D425 single-core (HTT-enabled) processor, with its usual NM10 chipset. The board also revealed several interesting components, such as two 2-port USB 3.0 controllers, giving out two ports on the rear panel and two for the front-panel, via a standard header.

The primary storage controller is the Intel NM10 chipset itself, the NAS uses a USB DOM (disk-on-module) it boots from, to hold its operating system. The primary network interface is a 1 GbE, driven by a Realtek-made PHY. Interestingly, the board has a vacant mini-PCIe slot, on which WLAN cards can be installed. The MyCloud Pro supports two SATA 3 Gb/s hard drives in the 3.5" form-factor. It supports all modern NAS features, such as UPnP-AV, NFS, FTP, Samba, but DLNA wasn't mentioned. The OS also includes a Bit-torrent client, and Apple iTunes-compatible music server. inXtron has apps for Android and iOS smartphones, with which you can use the phone to control the NAS. inXtron is targeting a sweet price-point under US $200, with the Akitio MyCloud Pro NAS.

Thecus has received hundreds of awards during its history for its innovative and reliable hardware, helping countless people all over the world to share our new digital-era treasure: data. Thecus believes in diversity. That's why they are releasing a new Windows Storage Server-powered NAS product line to help you share your files using Windows Storage Server 2008 R2: the W Series. Three models will be available: 8-bay W8900, 12-bay W12000 and 16-bay W16000.

"The release of the W Series is the start of a very fruitful relationship with Microsoft that will help us achieve our main goal: to satisfy more and more Thecus users with high-quality network appliances," says Florence Shih, General Manager of Thecus Technology.

Synology today announced RackStation RS812+ and RS812RP+, expandable 4-bay rackmount NAS servers bringing high performance, scalability, and reliability to small and medium businesses.

"Synology RS812+ and RS812RP+ are built to address the needs of businesses that require high performance and maximum system uptime to run mission-critical applications," said Peter Chen, Product Manager of Synology Inc. "They ensure business continuity with an array of redundancy and availability features," added Chen.

Imation Japan unveiled two new lines of NAS server products, the T5R desktop/tower, and R4 1U rack-mount NAS. The T5R has five 3.5" SATA HDD bays, along with one Imation RDX cardridge slot (for tape backup of vital data). The T5R comes in two variants, the T5R-5X1TB-HDD, which has five 1 TB HDDs; and T5R-5X2TB-HDD, which has five 2 TB HDDs. The R4, on the other hand, has four 3.5" SATA drive bays, and comes in two variants: R4-4X1TB-HDD with four 1 TB HDDs, and R4-4X2TB-HDD, which has four 2 TB HDDs.

There is a lot in common between the T5R and R4. Both models are driven by Intel Atom D2700 dual-core processor clocked at 2.13 GHz, with 2 GB DDR3 memory, the storage controllers support RAID 0,1,1 E, 3,5,6,10; the primary network interface is a single 1 Gbps Ethernet connection, and expansion features include two USB 3.0, three USB 2.0, and one eSATA. All modern x86 operating systems are supported. Imation did not give out pricing information.

Synology America Corp. today announced the latest release in its high-performance 4-bay DiskStation family: the DS412+. The DS412+ is well-suited for business users, offering a good mix of price, performance, and capacity.

The new 4-bay server features a brand new case design. The new model allows hot-swap capability. It is Synology's first 4-bay server to add support for USB 3.0. Dual NICs allow for link aggregation or failover, helping users get the most performance and reliability. The DS412+ uses passive cooling on the CPU and adaptive behavior on the dual exhaust fans to increase uptime and remove points of failure.