EMC Unveils New Mid-Range Option

EMC today announced enhancements for its mid-range CLARiiON networked storage system that are aimed at helping customers bring more off-line tape-based data online.

The Hopkinton, Mass., company developed the offering — which integrates Advanced Technology Attachment and fibre channel — for customers who still store a portion of their data on tape.

Some target users include oil and gas companies, telecommunications carriers, government intelligence agencies, and life sciences researchers.

“Once online, information then can deliver far greater value back to the business through higher service levels,” said David Donatelli, an EMC executive vice president. “And, through integration into the existing CLARiiON architecture, time to customer value is zero, because there’s nothing new for customers to learn.”

EMC also said that it has integrated its own backup and restore software, the EMC Data Manager, into CLARiiON with ATA. The announcements were made at the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany.

CLARiiON with ATA systems are available immediately. CLARiiON CX600 and CX400 systems support 250 GB 5,400 RPM ATA drives. List pricing for a 10-terabyte system with ATA configuration starts at $170,000.

“EMC’s stamp of approval means that ATA is now ready for prime time,” said Peter Gerr, an analyst at Enterprise Storage Group.

Hewlett-Packard , among EMC’s competitors in a crowded sector, begs to differ.

“We don’t see the enterprise customer going to a low-level offering,” said Cynthia Mills, an HP solutions product marketing manager.

HP’s offering for the space, the StorageWorks Mezzanine Backup Restore, is a two-stage backup offering that uses Small Computer System Interface drives rather than ATA. The product was introduced in February.

This story originally appeared on Internet News.

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