May 21st, 2013 by Bill Valle
TwinStrata Announces CloudArray 4.5 and DRaaS
TwinStrata is announcing the immediate release of its next version CloudArray 4.5 which has been evolving to simplify management and now offers a solution for on-demand disaster recovery via the disaster recovery as a service enhancement (DRaaS). CloudArray 4.5 introduces a new snapshot function that eliminates the need for separate backup software and can save storage space by requiring 20X less space than traditional backup strategies. This new release also has an intuitive administrative interface which allows the users to tune schedules to better accommodate high usage time frames to avoid contention for data access with other applications. Schedules are managed in increments of 15 minutes and 1Mb/s intervals. CloudArray 4.5 also provides the next generation of dynamic caching, adding flexible volume migration and balancing across cache policies to meet performance, sizing and tech refresh requirements.
May 21st, 2013 by Bill Valle
HDS Debuts Hitachi Cloud Services
Hitachi Data Services (HDS) is announcing its new Hitachi Content Platform (HCP) which offers users the ability to manage content securely in an off-premise cloud environment. HCP Anywhere allows employees to access content from anywhere, at any time, on any device easily. End-to-end file sharing is securely maintained by corporate IT to be deployed safely and securely. By downloading an iOS app for mobile devices, users can easily access content without needing any formal training, and this ease of use extends to the administrators with simple setup, deployment and management of the application. HCP integrates with Microsoft’s Active Directory Services and affords administrators with the ability audit and manage large numbers of users.
May 20th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
Veeam Announces Veeam Backup and Replication v7
Veeam Software is announcing Veeam Backup and Replication v7 data protection software includes two new innovations: built-in WAN Acceleration and Backup from Storage Snapshots. Veeam is known for their backup, replication and virtualization management solution for VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V, and this announcement indicates up to 50% faster offsite backup using the built-in WAN Acceleration. On top of these features, Veeam Backup and Replication v7 includes over 50 new features and enhancements to the software including Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint, VMware vCloud Director Integration, Self-Service Recovery of VMs and Guest Files, and Native Tape Support.
May 16th, 2013 by Josh Linden
Pogo Storage Announces Nexenta-Certified PogoRack
Pogo Storage and Nexenta Systems have introduced PogoRack, a petabyte-scale storage platform oriented towards government IT requirements that leverages NexentaStor ZFS and other open storage technologies. In doing so, PogoRack operates on an industry-standard hardware platform to reduce overhead for cloud, virtualization, database, and other on-demand data applications. PogoRack targets government IT environments that often face strict completion and budget requirements while also being required to meet operational standards and procurement regulations. According to Pogo, using open Nexenta technologies is a viable strategy for government IT departments to keep the cost of storage infrastructures within public budget limitations.
May 15th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
NetApp Announces NetApp Connect
NetApp is announcing its brand new NetApp Connect application that utilizes technology from ionGrid to enable users to access corporate data from their mobile device securely and intuitively. NetApp Connect is designed to add security to data access which employees have typically done using consumer-based solutions. It maintains security by keeping sensitive data behind the firewall. Users will be able to access documents, presentations, and other information from home directories, SharePoint and CIFS shares in a seamless fashion by downloading the application to their mobile device. Simplifying the process, NetApp Connect doesn’t require VPN setup or separate authentication tools.
May 14th, 2013 by Josh Shaman
Synology Announces DiskStation DS1513+
Synology is announcing the immediate release of their five-bay DS1513+ NAS for the SMB enterprise market that offers increased throughput, more redundancy and easy business application usage as enhancements over the DS1512+. Synology is also providing High Availability to prevent long instances of downtime as well as network load balancing to optimize storage across drives. With the Synology DS1513+, administrators have initial access to as much as 20TB of raw storage. However, they will also be able to scale out to 60TB of raw storage with the use of two eSATA ports on the rear of the machine.
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.
The HGST Ultrastar C10K900 is an enterprise-class, 2.5" HDD that interfaces over SAS, has a spindle speed of 10,000RPM and ranges up to 900GB in capacity. The Ultrastar C10K900 also comes in at a 14.8mm z-Height, classing it in the 15mm category. That small form factor helps to reduce organizations' overall TCO, especially in networked storage arrays or any space and/or power constrained environments. On top of that, other optimal environments for the Ultrastar C10K900 are blade and rack-mounted servers for applications such as online transaction processing (OLTP), any high performance scenario, and cloud computing.
The HGST Travelstar 7K1000 is a 1TB, 7,200RPM HDD that comes in a 2.5", 9.5mm form factor and interfaces over SATA 6Gb/s. The Travelstar 7K1000 is fairly unique in the space. Many drives are migrating to slimmer z-Heights at 7mm or even 5mm to meet the needs of space-constrained applications such as upgrading HDDs in ultrabooks. However, the 7K1000's target is a larger market - consumers that require robust capacity in their notebook computer or small form factor desktop at an economical price. Matching well with notebooks, the drive also features low power consumption and the highest shock tolerance in the industry. The 7K1000 also leverages Advanced Format which increased the physical sector size from 512 to 4096 bytes (4k). This helps to improve capacity and error correction capabilities.
The Seagate NAS HDD is a 3.5" form factor, 6Gb/s SATA interface hard drive that spins at 5,900RPM, ranges up to 4TB in capacity and is specifically engineered to be installed in one to five-bay NAS devices. With the consumer and small office NAS market growing quickly and with buyers usually opting for diskless models, Seagate is responding to market demand with this specific use-case drive. Of course there are loads of drives out there that users could implement to populate a NAS, but most are overkill or otherwise sub-optimal for the need. Seagate joins the NAS HDD market by designing a drive to handle NAS workload and operational requirements with their NASWorks specialized firmware, three-year warranty and support from many leading NAS vendors.
The Intel SSD DC S3500 is designed for data center applications such as in cloud computing, web hosting and other read-intensive environments, and the drive features an in-house controller, 20nm MLC NAND, and form factors at both 2.5" and 1.8". The DC S3500 is the latest SSD in Intel's new line while its sibling, 
The WD Se HDD is the company's latest 3.5" enterprise-class hard drive that ranges in capacities up to 4TB, spins at 7,200 RPM and interfaces over SATA 6Gb/s. The WD Se is designed to provide robust storage for large-scale NAS deployments, replicated environments, bulk cloud storage, and backup and archiving. The WD Se isn't geared toward revving up to the highest IOPS offered by an HDD; the drives are more affordable than performance variations and offer features required for data security by SMBs and the growing mid-range NAS market. That said, WD designed the Se series to still support moderate-workload applications with maximum sustained transfer rates claimed at up to 171MB/s.
