Introducing the MB154SP-B, a 4-in-3 SATA internal RAID backplane for 3.5" SATA hard drives. This is a lite version of the MB45X series by removing the monitoring features and reducing the overall cost, while keeping the same 3 year warranty and the core tray system for hot swapping and maintenance are kept for the best reliability in the market.

The MB154SP-B has been redesigned to be a lighter module, while maintaining the same level of quality, build, and service you'd expect from an Icy Dock product. While the design has gone through some changes, the space saving design is still established. The backplane module allows up to 3 x 3.5" SATA III hard drives, while only consuming two 5.25" bays. The module has also been redesigned for the type of power connector accepted. 15 pin SATA power is used to provide better accessibility for various host systems.

Synology Inc. today announced the release of a new 5-bay expansion unit, the DX513, a quick and effortless storage expansion solution for selected DiskStations with hot-swappable drive design aimed at businesses and power users.

As storage drives on Synology DiskStations reach their capacity limits, the DX513 provides an immediate solution to remedy this by scaling up DiskStation storage allowance through an additional five bays. RAID volume expansion can be directly performed by the paired DiskStation without reformatting existing hard drives; this allows continuous service uptime for the paired DiskStation throughout the storage expansion process. Furthermore, DX513 can function as a great alternative local backup solution if created as an independent volume for the paired DiskStation.

Ciphertex, the leading provider of secure, portable storage systems will exhibit the new CX-10K-NAS secure server at the HTCIA conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The HTCIA conference will provide Ciphertex the opportunity to demonstrate the CX-10K-NAS and discuss its many applications that will benefit the forensic community. During the acquisition of suspect data, Ciphertex encrypted products ensure collected evidence remains unaltered throughout the forensic process using advanced AES-256Bit encryption, from acquisition to the presentation of evidence and eventual archival. The CX-10K-NAS functions as a central storage location of suspect data with the performance necessary to sustain multiple concurrent workflow requests. While performing e-forensics the CX-10K-NAS allows for multiple investigators to simultaneously examine digital evidence reducing the duration of analysis and overhead costs to maintain an investigative team. The CX-10K-NAS connects directly to existing network environments utilizing 10GbE or 1GbE interfaces that support transfer speeds of 1000 MB/s and allows for effortless implementation.

Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and
manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC Mini-PC Barebones, now offers its own network-attached storage (NAS) systems. The first model in this product range is aimed at small offices, workgroups and home use.

Built from a harmonious combination of solid aluminium and brilliant white plastic, the Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 acts as a central storage unit for all types of data. Its design was specifically created to blend easily into existing home and office environments - whether on a desk, chest of drawers, filing cabinet or shelf.

LSI Corporation today announced worldwide channel availability of the PCIe flash LSI Nytro MegaRAID cards, providing simple, transparent and cost-effective application acceleration for direct-attached storage (DAS). Nytro MegaRAID cards uniquely integrate PCIe flash technology and intelligent caching software with enterprise RAID data protection using leading LSI dual-core RAID-on-Chip (ROC) technology.

The increased availability of the LSI Nytro MegaRAID product family coincides with a growing data deluge that is challenging data center managers to reassess ways to balance application performance, storage and data protection requirements in the most cost-effective way possible.

Synology Inc. today launched the DiskStation DS213, a feature-rich 2-bay NAS server that delivers an optimal price-to-performance solution to share and protect data for office and workgroup environments.

"The introduction of DS213 continues Synology's dedication to create one of the most easy-to-use and efficient storage solutions to satisfy the demands of our beloved users," said Darren Lin, product manager at Synology Inc. The DS213 features Web Assistant, an intuitive web-based system that completes installation and setup in only a few clicks. Combined with the Quick Start widget, users can simultaneously tour the DSM and begin immediate use.

Synology Inc. today unveiled the new DiskStation DS213+, a high performance 2-bay NAS server designed as a secure, energy efficient, and full-featured storage solution for small and medium businesses.

"As the first 2013 model, the new DiskStation DS213+ shows that Synology has outdone itself once again. It delivers the fastest encrypted data transfer rate in the product sector, and yet it offers extreme power-savings at merely 2.64 watts of energy consumption during System Hibernation," said Chad Chiang, product manager at Synology Inc. To ensure secure and efficient file sharing, the DS213+ boasts AES 256-bit encrypted read and write speed at 49.6 MB/sec and 24.7 MB/sec respectively.

While the PC enthusiast community at large welcomed news of SSD TRIM command being made possible in RAID 0 setups, provided Intel 7-series chipset RAID controllers are used, users of Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform, running Intel X79 chipset, didn't. The feature was advertised to be initially available only to users of 7-series client chipset (such as Z77, H77), with Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver version 11.0 and above. Intel made amends by announcing that users of Intel X79 chipset will be able to take advantage of TRIM command in RAID 0 setups, with a future version of RSTe (Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise) driver, without being specific about the version or its release date.

Said Intel in its note, "Current RSTe drivers specific to X79 do NOT support TRIM on RAID 0, but an updated RST driver version coming soon will add support for X79 based systems, including the TRIM on RAID 0 feature. Note that on client 7-series chipsets (non X79), RST driver version 11.0 and beyond supports TRIM on RAID 0."

Intel made it possible for SSDs to utilize the TRIM command feature when striped in RAID 0, provided a few meaty requirements are met. The TRIM command feature works to minimize write performance degradation on SSDs, but thus far it has been impossible to enable the feature on any other host controller mode than standalone AHCI, due to the manner in which the feature works at a physical level.

According to a report, TRIM over RAID 0 will be made possible with Windows 8 operating system, provided the system is running an Intel 7-series chipset (such as Z77 Express), has RAID BIOS (Option ROM) version 11.5 or higher, and Rapid Storage Technology (RST) device driver version 11.5 or higher. While obtaining the required Windows and driver versions is relatively easy, the RAID Option ROM version is in the hands of motherboard manufacturers, who have to release motherboard BIOS updates that include the required RAID Option ROM updates.

RAIDON announced the Runner R2420-B3, a dual 2.5-inch SATA external enclosure. It can enclose two 9.5 mm-thick 2.5-inch SATA hard drives or solid-state drives, and offers RAID capabilities. The two drives are held in place by caddies that eject the drive when the lid is opened (push to eject).

The SATA 3 Gb/s controller offers RAID JBOD, RAID 0 (performance) and RAID 1 (redundancy) modes, which can be configured by setting a pair of DIP switches on the back of the enclosure. The controller connects to the host using USB 3.0 interface. The enclosure draws power from an external 5V AC adapter. Measuring 174 mm x 105 mm x 33 mm (L x W x H), its dry-weight is about 490 g. The company did not give out pricing information.

Every year, technology is able to become more and more advanced and is constantly improving. Also, with being physically the smallest, and performing the best is the end goal of any storage system. This is why SFF (Small Form Factor) storage systems are becoming more popular due to its low power consumption and space-saving benefits. With the advent of recent solid state technology, this allows 2.5" SSD's to easily achieve 500MB/sec in transfer rate, which overcomes the 3.5" SATA hard drives in every category except capacity. Therefore, maximize the capacity in a limited space becomes the most important task that many storage consulting firms are faced with often. For SFF systems, we introduce the Icy Dock MB992SK-B 2.5" SATA Mobile Rack solution for use in 3.5" device bays (Floppy bay).

The new Thecus N4510U powered by Intel Atom with 2GB DDR3 RAM is a versatile 1U unit that offers enhanced performance, 4-bays for multiple RAID function, and link aggregation for easy expansion. It's perfect for the user who seeks a smaller NAS unit but requires the ability to integrate into a rack system.

The embedded Intel Atom CPU provides over-the-top performance to power on hungry NAS demands. In fact, utilizing a 64-bit driver allows the N4510U NAS to perform at its best. With HDMI output, USB 3.0 and hot-swap ability, the N4510U NAS packs powerful and dynamic features despite its 1U size. Attaching a TV tuner to the N4510U allows the ability to watch TV via your Thecus NAS. The flexibility of Thecus NAS elevates the user experience. In fact, not only watch TV but also record what you are watching directly to you NAS for instant media playback.

The new ThecusOS 5.0 has been released! This means that users will be able access more innovative functions with their Thecus NAS. Dedicated Thecus users know that Thecus NAS utilizes the best and most up-to-date hardware. The new ThecusOS 5.0 is the key piece that will unlock the most efficient and advanced NAS on the market. Ultimately, Thecus is a well-known innovator in the storage industry and ThecusOS 5.0 sets higher limits.

Texas Memory Systems, Inc. (TMS), provider of The World's Fastest Storage, today announced that TMS RamSan PCIe storage systems, including RamSan-70 products, are now bootable storage devices. This functionality is provided through a new firmware feature that allows most common servers to load operating systems directly from RamSan PCIe Flash storage systems, without requiring the presence of legacy hard drives or RAID controllers.

Launched in 2011, TMS RamSan-70 products have already been adopted by a broad variety of customers in healthcare, banking, e-commerce, and many other industries. Industry-leading bootability further minimizes complexity in such business-critical systems. Newly bootable RamSan-70 products are available with up to 900 GB of SLC Flash storage capacity and capable of 1.5 million I/Os per second (IOPS), 2.5 GB/s of bandwidth, and 30-60 microsecond latency. Bootability is available with the purchase of all new RamSan-70 PCIe storage systems, or as a firmware update with no hardware replacement necessary for existing RamSan-70 PCIe storage customers.

Infortrend today announced the North American availability of two new product lines in its EonNAS family of unified storage solutions, the EonNAS Pro and EonNAS 1000 Series. Although NAS is fast becoming the storage solution of choice for the SOHO and SMB markets, when it comes to data protection, current offerings from other brands come up short. Infortrend's new EonNAS Pro and EonNAS 1000 Series, running on ZFS file system fill this void by offering an unprecedented collection of advanced data protection features -- including data deduplication, corrupt data self-healing, snapshot and pool mirror -- bringing enterprise-level data protection and storage features to the SOHO and SMB markets.

Sharkoon is expanding its assortment of external RAID hard drive enclosures: The Sharkoon 5-Bay RAID Station and the Sharkoon 8-Bay RAID Station contain both 2.5 and also 3.5 inch SATA hard drives. With its fast RAID controller, simple handling and high-quality finish, they together form a perfect base as a fail-safe backup system for private media collections or SOHO environments.

Both cases are presented in a classy medal design from black SECC steel. Concealed behind the plastic front door with a mesh insert is the mounting frame for hard drives in both 2.5 and 3.5 inch formats. The frames with screwed in place storage mediums can simply be slide in place and locked by a lever. To cool the hard drives, a 120 mm silent fan is pre-installed in the rear panel.

As cloud computing becomes a mainstream, it is essential for enterprise servers to improve capacities and data transmission speeds. Apacer is taking cloud computing as one of its core areas of development, and has created the Apacer SAFD 25A - a SATA 3.0 SSD that boasts both capacity and performance gains to address the needs of this industry. This is a high-end SSD targeted for cloud-based computing, featuring outstanding efficiency, based on high IOPs, and a large storage capacity of 512GB. It aims to optimize data storage variables in cloud computing centers by providing speed within a stable and power-saving operating environment.

By using the exceptional features of SSDs such as anti-shock, anti-vibration, low-power consumption, and high-speed data transmission, Apacer expects to help enterprise servers to improve their data access constraints and, in doing so, take the place of traditional hard drives. This can all be accomplished in tandem with cutting a large amount of the cooling cost, providing ground-breaking efficiency to create an increasingly reliable operating environment.

HighPoint Technologies, Inc., an industry leading Storage HBA and RAID solutions manufacturer, has announced a new class of SAS 6Gb/s ROC HBA Series. The RocketRAID 4500 series were designed to meet the demanding requirements of professional business and media applications, where performance, 24-7 data availability and reliability of storage are paramount.

Introducing the RocketRAID 4520 - 8-Port 6Gb/s PCI Express SATA and SAS RAID HBA
The first of this new SAS 6Gb/s hardware RAID Host adapter series, the RocketRAID 4520, utilizes a Marvell RAID-on-Chip 900MHz onboard processor, 512MB DDR3 cache memory, PCI-Express 2.0 x8 bus speeds and SAS 6Gb/s connectivity combined with industry-proven RAID IP, delivers unrivaled performance and superior reliability.

Century Japan introduced CRNS35U3MR "EX Volume" 2-bay HDD enclosure, which provides fast external storage. The enclosure holds two 3.5-inch SATA hard drives in lockable caddies. It allows you to run them in standalone (as independent USB mass-storage volumes), or in RAID 0 (performance) and RAID 1 (redundancy) modes. To alleviate host interface bottlenecks, the enclosure utilizes USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface.

The enclosure draws power from an external AC power line (power supply is located internally), its controller logic spins down the hard drives sensing extended periods of inactivity (5 minutes, by default). The enclosure also has a temperature-controlled fan that completely spins down, below a temperature threshold. Measuring 130 x 210 x 115 mm (WxDxH), the enclosure weighs about 1922 g. Slated for early-June, the CRNS35U3MR from Century is priced at 14,800 JPY (US $186).

The annual event is approaching, computer gurus, enthusiasts and novices all alike prepare anxiously to cover the grounds of Computex 2012. Attendees seek for the most innovative technology available and exhibitors are kept on their toes to present eye-catching IT hardware and software. The time has come Computex 2012 is set for June 5th - 9th at Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taiwan. Visit Thecus at booth K0510 as new hardware and software will be presented to the public.

Thecus proudly exhibits:

• ThecusOS 5.0
• McAfee Antivirus
• TopTower Series
• Microsoft Windows Storage Servers: W Series
• V Series (Microsoft Windows 2008R2 Certified)
• Home & Small Office: Vision & EVO Series
• Thecus NVR, Visoguard

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."

Dell today announced additions to the PowerEdge portfolio with new blade, rack and tower servers designed to deliver value and performance in demanding enterprise and mainstream environments. The new blade servers offer strong performance gains and improved efficiencies from the shared power, cooling and network infrastructure, and professional IT services. The new tower and rack servers are built to enhance customer IT infrastructures with enterprise-class capabilities and tailored chassis designs for small and midsize businesses.

Dell introduced industry-leading innovations in the PowerEdge 12th generation servers based on input gathered from more than 7,700 customer interactions in 17 countries across four continents. The company was the first-to-ship servers based on the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family with the first wave of PowerEdge 12th generation servers in March 2012.

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.

Lenovo today announced its new ThinkCentre M92p "tiny" desktop PC, the industry's first Intel vPro enabled one-litre desktop measuring just the width of a golf ball (34.5 mm). The ThinkCentre M92p, along with the new M72e tiny desktops, exhibits an innovative tiny form factor allowing it to fit in practically any space while maintaining first-class productivity with up to 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors.

The ThinkCentre tiny form factor is equipped with the latest desktop power manager for optimal energy efficiency and enhanced reliability and manageability features. It's the perfect desktop for users who need uncompromised computing power in a small package. Lenovo today also announced the new ThinkCentre M92z all-in-one (AIO) and the ThinkVision LT2323z wide monitor offering an improved VoIP experience.

StarTech.com, a leading manufacturer of hard-to-find connectivity parts has announced the release of the Mini-SAS to 4x SATA/SAS Backplane (part # SATSAS425BK), which enables users to add four 2.5" SATA or SAS hard drives to a desktop computer, using a single Mini-SAS (SFF-8087) host connection, while requiring only a single 5.25" bay for installation. The backplane offers a versatile solution for adding multiple hot-swappable Serial ATA or Serial-Attached SCSI drives, even in computers with a limited number of drive bays available - ideal for adding removable storage for backups or RAID storage systems.

The backplane supports SATA and SAS Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs) up to 15mm in height, including high-capacity drives, and each tray features a locking mechanism that prevents unauthorized removal of the individual drive. The hotswap backplane is constructed from durable lightweight aluminum, which helps improve operating heat dissipation, and also features a 40mm cooling fan to increase air flow around the installed drives to ensure peak performance.