Getting Virtual: VMware Endorses Iomega Desktop Storage Devices

Virtualization is the hottest trend in enterprise IT, but there’s no need for small businesses and workgroups to miss its benefits. Iomega announced today that its dual-drive StorCenter ix2 and new quad-drive StorCenter Pro ix4-100 desktop network attached storage systems have earned VMWare’s VMware Ready Certified status, giving small offices the green light to implement virtualization on even a tight budget.

According to Iomega president Jonathan Huberman, “The StorCenter ix2 and ix4 can now be the low-cost platforms for VMware environments at businesses that might never have been able to take advantage of virtualization to save money and increase computing efficiencies.”

As an example, Iomega notes, a business running Microsoft Exchange on one server and Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP on another can use VMware to run both applications on a single server and an Iomega NAS, reducing server capital costs, power consumption, and management time.

Starting with a single server enables the basic benefits of VMware, such as hardware independence and software portability, while offering an expansion path to multiple servers and shared storage for more advanced features such as VMware High Availability and Distributed Resource Scheduler to optimize server utilization and insulate applications from server outages.

The Iomega platforms protect data with RAID algorithms and UPS support in case of power failure. The ix4-100 also supports user-replaceable hard drives to reduce downtime in case of hardware failure.

Recommended for groups of 12 users or fewer, the StorCenter ix2 is priced at $300 for 1TB and $480 for a 2TB model. The StorCenter Pro ix4-100 NAS Server, recommended for up to 25 users, is $800 for a 2TB unit and $1,300 for 4TB.