Networked Storage Devices Bring Order To Overflowing Multimedia Content
While wired and wireless networks for sharing data and content are becoming increasingly common in homes and SOHOs, interest in NAS devices has taken time to develop. One factor is that high-end customers traditionally have opted for proprietary solutions from companies such as Kaleidescape and Escient to serve their video and audio files. But times are changing and home owners are increasingly seeing the benefits of NAS.
For Ryan Lampel, president and CEO of Gaithersburg, Md., integrator Innovative Multimedia, convincing a customer that already has a home network to invest in a NAS device is straightforward. All of Innovative Multimedia's customers have wiring for LANs, and 85 percent already have implemented a LAN, Lampel says. "A NAS at home is such an obvious next move."
It may be an obvious move, but Lampel says that NAS technology is still seldom found in the home, making it a big opportunity for digital integrators going forward. "Customers have the line, and they can just plug a NAS in," he says. "But they are not asking about NAS."
Customers may not yet realize their need for NAS devices, but as Americans store more and more digital content, integrators will have a prime opportunity to offer them as solutions.
Research firm Parks Associates estimates that 84 percent of home users with Internet access store digital photos on their home PCs or other hard drives, while 59 percent store music files and 36 percent store video clips. All this content will mean the amount of reference data stored in the home will rise from an average of 322 Gbytes in 2005 to 1,933 Gbytes in 2010. To handle it all, given current technology, U.S. customers will need more than 15 million NAS appliances by 2010, according to research firm Coughlin Associates.
Storage vendors are preparing for the opportunity with a wide range of new appliances featuring ever-higher capacities and the ability to interface with home entertainment equipment.
To help bring the connected home to life, several manufacturers have started implementing the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) specification for connecting multiple home electronics equipment into their devices to enable them to share information with each other. NAS devices with DLNA, for instance, can be connected to a home entertainment center via a digital media adapter. Doing so allows users to access videos, music files and photographs stored on the NAS device and play them on another device on the network without turning on a PC.
And as NAS appliance capacities grow to 2 Tbytes and beyond, home users with multiple PCs can move much of their digital content to the NAS to allow multiple users to simultaneously access it.
Austin, Texas-based Buffalo Technology, for instance, just added 1.6- and 2-Tbyte versions of its TeraStation Terabyte Network Storage device to its NAS lineup. The devices are DLNA-compliant and come with four USB 2.0 ports, a built-in USB print server and a file server. Street prices are around $1,899 for the 2-Tbyte model and $1,499 for the smaller model.
Morikazu Sano, senior vice president of global marketing at Buffalo, says the company is also planning to introduce a home NAS appliance that looks less like an IT technology product and more like a DVD player for use in home theater racks or entertainment systems. The device is expected to be available before Christmas. He also says to expect DLNA-compliant media players for the home with built-in hard drives later this year.
Maxtor, Milpitas, Calif., just started shipping the latest version of its Maxtor Shared Storage NAS appliances. The new model offers 1 Tbyte of capacity, up from the previous maximum of 500 Gbytes. All models can be configured for RAID. They also are the first from the company to include Gigabit Ethernet and DLNA certification, says Jane Wasson, senior product marketing manager. Pricing was unavailable at press time.
The Yellow Machine NAS appliance from Santa Clara, Calif.-based Anthology Solutions, available in 1.0-, 1.6- and 2.0-Tbyte capacities, was just updated with a new operating system that gives it a built-in VPN that allows owners to access it remotely via a secure connection. The products also constantly check for and repair disk errors before users notice a problem, says Ted Theocheung, vice president of marketing and business development. The 1-Tbyte version costs $999.
The Yellow Machine appliances will be upgraded with DLNA connectivity, Theocheung says. "There's a lot of new technology coming, a whole alphabet soup," he says. "Digital integrators can provide the tools and means to understand the technology."
Fremont, Calif.-based Infrant Technologies just introduced its ReadyNAS NV line, available in a 9-inch cube design or a 1U rack-mount enclosure. The new appliances can be configured with up to four hot-swappable 500-Gbyte hard drives, and can stream data directly to other devices on a network, says Sam Feng, director of marketing. Prices range from $649 for a device with no drives to $2,299 for one with four drives. Infrant is currently certifying the ReadyNAS NV line for DLNA and next quarter will revamp its digital integrator channel program to help spark sales, Feng says.
Iomega upgraded its StorCenter NAS appliances to include either two or four hard drives and next quarter expects to make it possible for customers to expand that capacity, says Lee Williams, vice president of product generation for the San Diego-based vendor. Pricing has not yet been announced. Williams says current and future StorCenters will have DLNA capability, making them easier to connect to home entertainment systems, but integrators will still be needed for setup.
Meanwhile, new vendors are continuing to enter the digital home NAS space.
Austin-based Newisys, a subsidiary of electronic contract manufacturer Sanmina, started shipping its first NAS appliances in March. Integrators can either configure customized units via the vendor's Web site or order the parts and assemble the units themselves, says Barry Hutt, director of storage strategy. Future versions will include wireless capabilities, an IP router or switch, FireWire connectivity and the ability to send video to multiple TVs, he says. Pricing had not been announced at press time.
Fremont, Calif.-based Plextor early this year unveiled its first NAS appliances to the retail and digital integrator channels. Pete Schwartz, vice president of marketing and business development, says the models feature capacities of 250 Gbytes and 400 Gbytes and come with built-in print servers. DLNA support will be available with the next versions. The 250-Gbyte version costs $299 while the 400-Gbyte version costs $449.
For more news, reviews and commentary on the home and small-business markets, sign up for the weekly Digital Connect Direct e-mail newsletter.
