Iomega Packs iSCSI, Replication Into SOHO NAS

Iomega's new StorCenter ix2-2000 desktop NAS appliance also comes with several features that make it a good channel play for solution providers working with SOHO and small-business customers, said Bill Hampton, the company's global product manager for network storage products.

Data on the ix2-200 can be backed up in a couple of different ways, Hampton said.

For instance, users can plug an external hard drive into a USB port on the appliance and press the "quick transfer button" on the front to initiate a quick backup of the data.

The appliance can also be set to replicate data to any other device over a LAN, or be set up as a target for replication from any other device. The included software replicates only the changes to the data to keep the replication process as short as possible, he said.

Also new is iSCSI support, which allows businesses to use the Iomega ix2-200 NAS appliance with both file and block data simultaneously, Hampton said.

The appliance is also VMware-certified for use in VMware ESX 3.5 and vSphere 4 virtual environments, he said.

For Mac users, the appliance integrates with Apple's Time Machine software, which automatically backs up files every hour and keeps past versions of data available for point-in-time recovery.

A Web interface allows customers to access files on the Iomega ix2-200 NAS appliance over the Internet in order to view photos or upload or download files, Hampton said.

Iomega expects the main market to be in SOHO environments, but it also works in offices with up to 25 people with Active Directory support, Hampton said.

For smaller companies, the appliance also serves as a print server and can be used to automatically record videos from surveillance cameras, he said.

The Iomega ix2-200 NAS appliance is also good for the "pro-sumer," Hampton said.

"It serves as a Media Server, and is DLNA [Digital Living Network Alliance]-certified, which means it can serve up music and video files," he said. "It also supports iTunes."

To cut energy consumption, Iomega is incorporating new lower-power-consuming hard drives, which also spin down when idle, into the new appliances. Also included are variable-speed fans to reduce both power consumption and noise level.

The 1-TB version of the Iomega ix2-200 NAS appliance is priced at $269.99, with a 2-TB version priced at $369.99. They are both available. A 4-TB version is expected to be available later this month priced at $699.99.

Solution providers can purchase the appliance via Ingram Micro, Tech Data, D&H and Synnex. It is also available through online retailers.