Ximeta Signs D&H, Ingram Micro For SOHO Network Storage

The Irvine, Calif.-based company also has distribution partnerships with Bell Microproducts and SED International.

Ximeta's NetDisk storage products connect to a LAN via Ethernet or direct to a PC via FireWire or USB. The devices range in capacity from 80 Gbytes to 250 Gbytes, said Robert Gronski, executive vice president of sales and business development at Ximeta.

Unlike a mini NAS appliance, the NetDisk can connect to a LAN without the need for an IP address, making it easier to install and harder to gain unauthorized access, Gronski said. Two or more users can access the same file at the same time because, once installed, it allows sharing, he added. One model, the NetDisk Office, includes a built-in, eight-port Ethernet switch, which can serve files and run a LAN from the same box.

SOHO users can use NetDisk to share personal business files, Gronski said. "It's for people who save everything and store everything," he said. "It makes files like audio available to everyone in a house."

For solution providers, NetDisk can be ordered with or without hard drives--and without the NetDisk name, Gronski said. Solution providers are already selling it with value-added software for use in medical systems, security camera systems and home media centers.