LG's Approach To NAS: Blu-Ray

LG Electronics has delivered what reviewers believe is a thumbs-up approach that could provide small or midsize businesses with another weapon in data storage and backup. The LG Blu-ray NAS N4B1N combines the network connectivity and capacity of a network-attached storage (NAS) device with the flexibility of Blu-ray backup capability. The result: a unique approach to network storage that provides two ways to protect valuable data.

List-priced at launch at $799.99, the NAS N4B1N provides up to 4 TB (or possibly more, depending on how it's configured) worth of storage. It's architected with four HDD bays, an e-SATA interface, and supports a number of different OSes including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Mac OS 10.3 and later and Linux.

Immediately, a key benefit of the NAS N4B1N is that it eliminates two enemies to a small or medium enterprise: cost and complexity. For the acquisition cost, the device is simple to set up out of the box. That it can allow an enterprise to save data to the HDDs and then, if necessary, copy the data on to either a 25-GB or a 50-GB Blu-ray drive--perhaps for off-site or disaster-secured storage-- allows for multiple ways to meet business needs or, if necessary, compliance regulations.

LG, based in Seoul, South Korea, with U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., has a wide footprint in both business technology and consumer technology. The marriage of Blu-ray, which has to this point been largely a consumer multimedia technology, with network-attached storage, is an approach that very few if any technology companies besides LG could have pulled off--given LG's deep investment in Blu-ray.

The device itself, which weighs in at about 15 pounds, can hold as many as four HDD drives with support for capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB, 750 GB or 1 TB. The 3 GBps data transfer rate is reasonable for this class of storage device.

It's about the same size as a standard desktop PC, measuring 10 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches. It's built with a soft, white chassis and a stainless steel facing, and provides an LCD status monitor on the front for status messages and system alerts. The size, fit and finish all make it easy to access and move around, which is often a requirement for small businesses or workgroups.

The device also comes with support for an FTP Network option, DHCP, IP or static IP support, and is built with a 4-in-1 card reader. The device does support remote access and remote management, providing VARs with additional flexibility in deployment.

After examining the NAS N4B1N, we can recommend the product for small or midsize businesses or workgroups that need flexibility, off-site data protection or portability, and remote access at a reasonable price. For those enterprises that require extra measures of physical security, though, it may require a second or third look.

The bottom line: LG Electronics is working to develop unique approaches to business issues by converging two technologies--and in the process is taking a leadership stake in both optical and network storage. We believe that LG is worth following in this space and believe many businesses will find this a worthy solution to the pressing need of keeping data backed up, secure and available in business continuity scenarios.

At the time LG first previewed the NAS device, Peter Reiner, senior vice president of marketing and strategy, said: "LG's NAS device is the perfect complement to our award-winning optical disc drive line as it not only provides data security but also offers large storage capacity and gives users the flexibility to read anad write Blu-ray."

In its own words, here's what LG has to say about its unique approach:

"Design plays a critical role in harmonizing technology and human needs. In an effort to predict emerging needs, and to deliver innovative products to the public, LG has developed a comprehensive design philosophy which boils down to four basic elements: Concept, Style, Interface, and Finish. LG believes that design plays a critical role in harmonizing technology and human needs--a belief that requires our designers to predict emerging needs.

This trend was started by the LG Life Soft Research Lab, which was established about 20 years ago. Design plays a crucial role at the Corporate Design Center, even if much of the work within the Corporate Design Center remains largely unseen by the outside world. Researchers, designers, and trend scouts work to predict the future by examining and identifying consumer needs, observing the public's interest in products, and then developing design concepts and solutions based on what they've seen."

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