May 13th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
HP Announces Enhanced Storage for SMB
HP has announced the next generation of its MSA entry disk array, updates to the HP StoreEasy Storage portfolio and a new program for HP channel partners. The enhanced HP offerings are designed to make storage deployment and management simpler for SMBs and government agencies who often don't have the resources or expertise in the field to utilize their system for maximum performance and availability. In particular, according to HP their MSA 2040 Storage system performs up to 4x competing models, and the HP StoreEasy Storage portfolio makes it easier to manage file data without specialized expertise. Organizations will be able to obtain these enhanced HP offerings via HP's new Simply StoreIT program. The program is for HP channel partners and provides training, marketing and incentives to the channel to assist them in addressing customers' needs and in finding new revenue.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
Netgear Announces ReadyDATA 516
Netgear has announced the ReadyDATA 516 6-bay NAS unit designed with enterprise-class features and simple usability for SMBs. The ReadyDATA 516 is a great fit for organizations that don't have a data center or for an application such as multiple branch offices requiring on-site storage used in conjunction with the ReadyDATA 5200 2U 12-bay NAS. The unit is far easier to deploy than other options due to its pricing model and small desktop form factor. ReadyDATA 516 also incorporates ReadyDATA Hybrid Cloud, which provides data replication from ReadyDATA to the public cloud. The news of the ReadyDATA 516's coming availability arrives on the heels of the news that Netgear was the number one NAS vendor for total shipments in 2012.
May 7th, 2013 by Bill Valle
EMC Announces Documentum and Certified Solution Program Updates
EMC has announced new additions to their Documentum product line targeting customers in the Energy, Life Sciences and Healthcare industries. Based on the Documentum Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, these solutions help customers address mission-critical information management challenges by improving efficiency, productivity and reliability. Additionally, EMC is announcing news regarding their Certified Solution Program. The program focuses on key considerations for evaluating vendors, and the announcement includes information about what the program has focused on and where it will continue to focus.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
EMC Announces EMC Data Protection Suite
EMC is announcing the EMC Data Protection Suite which offers users a simple licensing model whereby they can access a whole range of EMC software products to help archive and backup their data environments. This flexible licensing model enables organizations to shift with consumers' demands for different services. By offering the software in the Data Protection Suite, EMC also makes it easier for organizations to measure the costs associated with their purchases to lower their ownership expenses as well as time spent configuring and working out the needs of their organization. This is also enhanced by the ability to purchase based on consumption and deployment models.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
EMC Offers Enhanced Support For Syncplicity
EMC is announcing support for Policy-Driven Hybrid Cloud, EMC ViPR and EMC VNX on the EMC Syncplicity file sync and sharing product. The support for policy-driven hybrid cloud means that customers will be able to simultaneously access private and public clouds. Additionally, storage performance will be optimized. All of this will be done with consideration given to security and regulatory compliance based on user and content types. EMC Syncplicity will also begin native support for EMC VNX starting in the second half of 2013, and it will begin utilizing EMC ViPR software-defined storage as well.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
EMC Announces New and Updated Software Suites
EMC is announcing an enhanced version of their Storage Resource Management Suite and a new product called Service Assurance Suite to provide administrators with unadulterated views into storage, network, and compute infrastructures. This announcement also highlights new integration with the forthcoming EMC ViPR software-defined storage. The new EMC Service Assurance Suite and updated EMC Storage Resource Management Suite share a common presentation layer with EMC ViPR. This shared presentation layer will make the transition to software-defined storage easier, and it enables administrators to ensure that they are meeting service-level agreements and that they are seeing a proper return on their investments.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
EMC Announces Upcoming Enhancements to Isilon OneFS
EMC is announcing that it is working on a new version of EMC Isilon OneFS scale-out NAS operating system which will include deduplication, audit and security features and several other updates. The other enhancements to EMC Isilon OneFS are object-oriented storages, Hadoop HDFS 2.0 and Syncplicity file sharing updates. EMC's Isilon is designed to be used in conjunction with large deployments typically starting at a minimum of 100TB and ranging up for cloud-based, mobile and Big Data analytics. Isilon OneFS has a specific focus on work that requires a massive capacity such as Video and Graphics applications, but can meet essentially any large-scale corporate IT need.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
Synology Announces DiskStation DS213j
Synology is announcing the immediate release of its DiskStation DS213j dual-bay NAS devices powered by increased RAM at 512MB and a 1.2Ghz processor with an integrated FPU to generate multi-sized thumbnail images faster than before. This enhanced hardware within the DS213j is designed for home users who require control over their cloud-accessible content. The DS213j also runs on Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM 4.2) that we recently announced, which makes features and accessibility easily available for users. The DS213j will support further updates down the road to keep the NAS current.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
WD and SanDisk Announce Collaboration for WD Black SSHD
WD and SanDisk are announcing that the two companies have formed a partnership to introduce the WD Black SSHD in a 2.5-inch, 5mm form factor with flash memory from SanDisk. SanDisk will supply the SanDisk iSSD storage device for the WD Black SSHD which utilizes proprietary hybrid technology. Incorporating SanDisk's iSSD will help the WD Black that we recently announced to maintain high reliability and performance as well as low power consumption and cost. This move comes as more and more consumers are demanding ultra-slim form factor drives that require very little power for applications such as ultra-thin notebook computers.
May 7th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
Inktank Announces Ceph Cuttlefish Update
Inktank is announcing the newest release Ceph called Cuttlefish which offers enhancements to the massively scalable, open source software-defined storage system. Ceph Cuttlefish updates include Red Hat support, quicker installation for easier adoption, and operational improvements for scaling applications. Ceph also delivers object, block, and file storage in a single system that runs on existing hardware. Amongst larger updates detailed below, Ceph Cuttlefish also includes a few more features in this version: users now have access to incremental snapshots of block devices, at-rest encryption of data and quotas for storage pools. Inktank is marking their continued commitment to Ceph with their commercial support for Cuttlefish and future versions of the OS.
The Samsung SSD 840 is an entry-level consumer SSD and is the first to be made with TLC (Triple Level Cell) NAND. This differs from the MLC (Multi Level Cell) NAND used in every other consumer SSD. Up to this point, TLC NAND has only been used in less critical applications like USB thumb drives and memory cards, but its acceptance in the SSD space is emerging in large part because of the reduced cost of the NAND packages. Of course the tradeoff for the lowered price-point is endurance, but as consumers are coming to accept, most of them really don't write all that much data to their drives. The Samsung SSD 840 is built off of the same platform as the Samsung SSD 840 Pro with the Samsung MDX triple-core ARM 9 controller which is clocked at 300MHz and leverages Samsung's NAND and proprietary firmware.
The OWC Envoy Pro EX is a USB 3.0 bus-powered portable storage device that offers capacities up to 480GB and is pre-formatted and primarily designed for Apple systems, though PC users can reformat and use the drive as well. The OWC Envoy Pro is the bare unit, while the EX models add SSD storage using 
The WD My Passport Ultra, announced today, is a USB 3.0 portable storage device with capacities from 500GB up to 2TB that features local and cloud backups. The My Passport Ultra includes software for automatic backups to the host system or to the My Passport Ultra as well as the ability to use Dropbox to backup to the cloud. The Ultra, WD's latest My Passport iteration, also enables users to setup password protection and hardware encryption to keep data stored on the device secure from unauthorized access. Cosmetically-focused, the WD My Passport Ultra is available in four different colors (titanium, red, blue and black).
HP has been going through a transformation recently when it comes to the 
The Kingston MobileLite Wireless is the company's latest portable wireless storage device that ships without embedded storage and instead enables users to use memory cards (SD/SDHC/SDXC and microSD with included adapter) or USB flash drives to increase storage for tablets, phones and other mobile devices. MobileLite Wireless provides a battery life of up to 5 hours for playback and viewing files, and it conveniently charges over USB. The 5-hour life is 25% more than on the previous generation Wi-Drive portable wireless flash drive that Kingston continues to offer in 64GB and 128GB capacities. Uniquely, the MobileLite Wireless also offers the ability to serve as an emergency charger for mobile devices such as phones.
Newer Technology's miniStack MAX functions as an external storage device, optical drive, SD media card reader and USB hub simultaneously while matching the footprint and taking styling cues from the Mac Mini. This design makes it a great companion to the Mac Mini or any desktop or notebook. The miniStack MAX interfaces over USB 3.0, two Firewire 800 ports or an eSATA connection. The machine also features a USB hub with a total of three USB 3.0 ports, two of which have been designed to charge less power-hungry devices while one offers 2.1Amp power to charge tablets and other devices. The miniStack MAX is designed for backup and general storage as well as the needs of creative professionals.
