Intel Targets Small Business and Consumer Storage

When you think of Intel, networked storage for small business probably isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. That may be about to change. Targeting the growing storage needs of SMBs and consumers, Intel unveiled the Entry Storage System SS4000-E, a small box system that can fit on a bookshelf and store up to two terabytes of data.

A networked storage box, the SS4000-E storage system has “Intel Inside” &#151it runs on the company’s XScale 80219 processor and connects through a Gigabit Ethernet network. It supports up to four SATA hard disks. The device also includes a client backup and recovery application for complete system backup.

The company said the SS400-E’s Linux-based operating system lets you share files between Windows, Linux and Macintosh users.

“Storage today is a $60 billion industry, and we saw an unmet need in the
SMB and SOHO market,” said Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president of Intel’s digital enterprise group. “This is enterprise-class storage for the masses.”

Intel won’t be selling the system directly to consumers, but rather to the computer reseller channel. The storage unit is available now and priced from $700 to $2,000 at retail depending on the amount of capacity you buy. Models start at 250 GB.

Designed to help centralize large or vital data files, the SS4000-E is based on standard Network Attached Storage (NAS) technology with system backup, remote boot and system recovery, and multiple users can access it simultaneously.

With the increasing use of photo, video, music files and games, Intel is also touting the system for sophisticated home consumers to augment their computer hard drives and keep their files in a central location.

“This is a purposeful device to help businesses manage data,” said John Williams, product line manager for storage at Intel “And if a catastrophe strikes, there’s peace of mind because you can retrieve the image and restore it to the PC or to another device.”

Adapted from Internetnews.com.