Iomega Intros Server-grade NAS for SMBs

Iomega operates under the premise that small businesses have data storage and backup requirements approaching those of larger enterprises; if not in scale, certainly in functionality, according to the company’s Senior Director of Network Storage Products, Jay Krone.

That belief manifested itself today as the company took the wraps off new StorCenter PX Server Class desktop and rackmount NAS systems. The offerings represent the continual evolution from Iomega’s SOHO roots — though Krone assures that the company remains committed to its home-office customer base. Earlier in the year, Iomega offered a glimpse of this strategy with the introduction of its StorCenter ix2 product.

It helps, too, that Iomega has access to “best practices and software technologies from EMC,” Iomega’s corporate parent.

The Intersection of SMB and Enterprise Storage

With StorCenter PX Server Class, Iomega targets what Krone describes as the “distributed enterprise” — essentially branch and remote offices that act like small businesses within a larger organization.

Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation, reflects on how the new offerings fit into the company’s expanded vision. “Designed using many of the same technologies as EMC’s enterprise network storage products, the new PX Server Class Series is comprised of powerful business class NAS devices that offer increased reliability and continuous operation that comes with server-class drives, as well as the option of using consumer drives.”

Those features include 7,200 RPM server-grade SATA drives, optional SSD, and upgraded LifeLine 3.2 software with EMC Atmos cloud integration.

The StorCenter px4-300d and px6-300d Server Class are desktop models that can be had with a wide array of storage choices, from 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch SATA drives or, optionally, solid-state drives (SSDs). Both can be ordered fully loaded, partially populated or completely diskless.

The px4-300d has four hard drive bays with up to 12TB of storage, while the px6-300d has six bays and can accommodate up to 18TB. Connectivity on both models is provided by a USB 3.0 port, dual USB 2 ports and a single gigabit Ethernet GbE port. Prices start at $699.99 for the px4-300d and $899.99 for the px6-300d.

For the rackmount set, there’s the px4-300r and px12-350r Server Class series.

The 1U, px4-300r has four 3.5-inch bays and can be outfitted with up to 12TB of drive storage. The company’s “flagship rackmount unit,” the px12-350r, is a 2U unit with twelve 3.5-inch bays. It can be ordered partially populated with as little as 4TB of storage all the way up to 36TB fully stocked. They connect to the network via four GbE ports and support USB 3.0. Prices start at $1,699.99 for the px4-300r Server Class Series and $4,999.99 for the px12-350r.

However, new hardware is only part of the story.

StorCenter PX Server Class systems ship with version 3.2 of EMC’s LifeLine storage management software. LifeLine also provides backup and recovery, volume encryption, RAID configuration and integration with Iomega Personal Cloud and EMC Atmos cloud services.

Cloud-enabled Video Surveillance for SMBs

All those “unblinking eyes” need somewhere to store their footage, and Iomega sees an opportunity for its StorCenter PX in the SMB surveillance market.

The video surveillance industry is undergoing a “big sea change as they move from analog technology to digital,” says Krone. Surveillance cameras are ubiquitous. Even small business operators, particularly those in retail and customer-facing service providers, typically have a handful of devices recording footage on a 24/7 basis.

Iomega wants StorCenter PX to serve as the nerve center for their IP camera-based systems. The server-grade components are up to the rigors of constant data capture, as are the video management features within LifeLine, says Krone. And Iomega’s cloud-based video surveillance services “turns video surveillance into an operating expense instead of a capital expense.”

Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE

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