TechWatch: Protecting SMB Data

These three new solutions will go a long way toward better protecting your SMB customers' data. If you have a product you think we should know about, drop a line to [email protected].

Dantz With Encryption

Their laptops may be secure, but not providing backup is like playing Russian roulette with your clients' data. Many new tools have hit the market, including one from EMC's recently acquired Dantz, whose latest Retrospect Backup solution for SMB customers protects client PCs and servers alike. Renowned for its fast backups and restores to and from multiple media, Retrospect now has an added dose of security. The newest release supports AES 256-bit encryption, which will provide added protection in the event your customers' data gets into the wrong hands. The updated release also supports Microsoft's new Windows 64-bit edition. It is available in single and multiserver packs, and can also be used with Linux and Macintosh platforms.

Dantz Retrospect Backup 7.0, www.emc.com Price: $129 for a client license, $499 for small-business server

Kashya's two Bodyguards in one

If your clients need something a bit more rugged, Kashya's new Universal KBX5000 solution is worth examining. It provides enterprise-class, continuous data replication and data recovery. What's unique about this appliance is it provides intelligent fabric and policy-based protection for mission-critical data against any type of failure, including the complete disaster of a given site. It does so by providing continuous data protection in one module and remote replication in another, offering immediate recovery back to any point in time. At the same time, the KBX5000 supports up to 25-1 compression. Kashya's appliance eliminates the need for multiple solutions, such as EMC's SDRF, SnapView and Legato Replistor, according to the company.

Kashya KBX5000, www.kashya.com Price: Starts at $6,000 for the appliance and $20,000 for the software module

HP Readies notebook For Turion

Here's an affordable notebook for your small- to midsize-business customers (SMB) whose performance screams, yet keeps data secure. Hewlett-Packard's new, fully loaded Compaq nx6125 notebook is the first to market based on AMD's 64-bit Turion processor. True, the number of 64-bit applications are few and far between, but when they come to market, these relatively thin machines will be ready. In the meantime, the Turion chip is optimized to support HP's ProtectTools portfolio, which, among other things, provides the processing power to let users log in to all their systems, including public Web sites, using their fingerprints for added security. At the same time, the 15-inch nx6125 has built-in wireless LAN connectivity and comes with ATI Radeon's Xpress200M, which provides PCI-Express support and an on-board DirectX 9 chipset for graphics-intensive applications.

Compaq nx6125, www.hp.com Price: Starts at $1,000