Competition grows in NAS market

American Megatrends Inc. recently released what it billed as the industry's first low cost, system independent NAS software solution sporting a suggested price of just under $300. The company also offered a $100 limited-time "rebate."

AMI says its NAS software can run on any new or existing X86 desktop or server. The StorTrends NAS software v1.4 can be added to any X86 desktop or server to create a low-cost NAS system.

AMI's NAS software is FreeBSD-based, with support for Windows, Apple, NetWare, Unix and Linux. It also includes software RAID embedded in the OS and supports industry standard IDE and SCSI controllers.

One of the NAS software's key features is AMI's StorTrends NAS Management Station v1.2. The Management Station simplifies the task of configuring and monitoring multiple NAS systems in a network, making them easier to manage.

Management Station is NT/2000-based and runs on an NT domain server. It saves and restores configuration values, resets to factory default values, installs the SSL certificate by the user, exports an NT user base to all NAS systems, duplicates user information across the NAS and has auto discovery of NAS devices on the network.

While acknowledging the product seems to have some interesting features at its price point, Dennis Martin, an analyst with the Evaluator Group, Greenwood Village, Colo., cautioned that some of the same NAS functionality is already embedded in many operating systems through file service systems. "It would probably compete with products Veritas Servpoint NAS and is clearly aimed at the mid-to low-end market," he said.

"Clearly this is another product option to consider and proof that the NAS market is becoming very competitive," he added.

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About the author: Alan Earls is a freelance writer in Franklin, MA.