Iomega NAS 200d Proves Ideal Turnkey Solution

Iomega's NAS 200d storage appliance enables resellers to install NAS in no time. The unit was designed with small and midsize businesses, remote offices and departmental workgroups in mind. The Iomega NAS 200d runs nearly silently and, because it is based on Windows Storage Server 2003, offers seamless integration with Windows networks. The NAS 200d has a storage capacity of 320 Gbytes, 480 Gbytes or 750 Gbytes. CRN Test Center engineers examined a NAS 200d with 320-Gbyte capacity and a built-in REV drive, priced at $1,899. A 320-Gbyte unit without the REV drive costs $1,399, while one with a REV drive and a Windows Print Server option costs $2,099.

The NAS 200d is not a brand-new item, but Iomega recently announced the availability of a built-in 35-Gbyte REV drive. The REV drive combines the performance of a hard drive with the convenience of removable tape cartridges. The disk-based REV cartridges hold 35 Gbytes of uncompressed data and up to 90 Gbytes of compressed data. The REV drive's maximum native transfer rate is 25 Mbps, with an average file access time of 13 milliseconds. REV cartridges are rated for an estimated 1 million rewrites and have a shelf life of about 30 years.

The NAS 200d is easy to install with its plug-and-play design. It features high-speed Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives, with RAID1 protection on the 320-Gbyte model and RAID1 or RAID5 protection on the 480-Gbyte and 750-Gbyte models. The 320-Gbyte unit features a single Gigabit Ethernet port, while the 480-Gbyte and 750-Gbyte models include dual Gigabit Ethernet ports. All models have an Ultra SCSI 320 port for connecting the unit to high-speed backup devices.

Solution providers don't have to mix and match software, as the NAS 200d comes with all the needed software. Iomega includes Automatic Backup Pro, making the NAS 200d a complete client backup solution; each client PC can be set for continuous backup or scheduled backup to the NAS 200d. Computer Associates International's eTrust antivirus software version 7.1 provides the included virus protection. Units with a REV drive also come with CA's BrightStor ARCserve Backup OEM edition r11.1.

Again, because NAS 200d runs Windows Storage Server 2003, it supports existing Microsoft services. Support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 improves the performance of Exchange servers by offloading the database. Deleted or corrupted data can be quickly restored because Volume Shadow Copy Services provides up to 512 point-in-time data-restore points per volume. Distributed File System support simplifies locating and managing data on multiple servers. File Replication Service updates all copies of a file stored on different servers and workstations when a copy of the file is updated on one server, while Encrypting File Systems ensures that encrypted data will remain secure even if a disk is moved to another system.

The 320-Gbyte unit features two 160-Gbyte, 7,200-rpm SATA-150 hard drives and the internal REV drive. It's powered by a 2GHz Intel Celeron processor with 256 Mbytes of memory, four USB 2.0 ports and one serial port, along with VGA, keyboard and mouse ports. The unit measures 9 inches wide by 13 inches deep by 8.25 inches high and weighs 17.5 pounds. The NAS 200d is compatible with Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP; Novell NetWare 3 or higher; Mac OS 8, OS 9 and OS X; and most versions of Linux and Unix.

Iomega's channel program has been in place for three years. The three levels of partnership are Registered, Authorized and Premier. Registered resellers simply have to register their information on the partner Web site. Authorized resellers must be registered and achieve a $50,000 sales goal per quarter, while Premier resellers must maintain sales of $250,000 per quarter.

All partners get training and presales support from Iomega's internal sales team, and can schedule joint sales calls. The average reseller margin is 15 percent to 20 percent, according to Iomega. Authorized resellers receive an additional 3 percent discount on purchases through distribution. Partners at the Premier level receive an additional 5 percent discount on purchases through distribution and can also qualify for MDF funds.