Snap looks to break into enterprise

Vendor unveils storage push

NAS vendor Snap Appliance is using low-cost iSCSI, Linux and Serial ATA (SATA) disks to push further into enterprise storage.

Its Linux-based GuardianOS 3.0 operating system will run across its range, supporting iSCSI and distributed data management.

Snap has also announced the SATA disk-based Snap Server 15000, supporting up to 29TB.

Claude Steinmayer, Snap Appliance's director of solutions marketing, said: "Snap is moving upmarket and the market is also coming down to us. SMEs will say, 'We'd love a cost-effective SAN with iSCSI,'" he said.

GuardianOS integrates with BakBone's NetVault Linux-based backup and recovery product, and Symantec's V2i software, which includes data protection for Windows servers and an entire system image backup.

The modular Snap Server 15000 NAS follows EMC's disk-based tape library emulation option, but its £20,000 starting price is a fraction of the cost.

Rick Terry, managing director of Snap reseller Kingswell, which also supplies EMC, said: "For now this looks ideal positioning for SMEs with 300 to 400 people. Traditionally, EMC's ticket prices have been too high for this group."

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