Iomega StorCenter ix2: 2TB Data Storage
A while back, there was a point in time when Iomega storage devices were the backup media of choice for desktops, small office and home office environments. Now that it’s an EMC company, it’s again becoming more aggressive in the backup media and data storage market for personal use, small office and home office.
Iomega recently announced the StorCenter ix2, with up to 2TB of storage. With the wealth of features, this device is primarily designed for the home network, as well as for the small office and for personal use. It promises to be the easiest way for anyone on the LAN to secure, protect, access and share their movies, mp3 files, photos, and other data.
This network appliance is easy to configure, and with only four mouse clicks, the 2 terabyte storage is ready to go live on the LAN.
Accessible through the LAN via a GigaBit ethernet port, the heart of the ix2 are two high performance SATA-II hard disks. Additionally, it has two USB ports for USB printers for network print sharing, a USB Bluetooth dongle for direct uploads, or external USB drives to add incremental storage capacity.
The backup software is easy to use, and on setup, it can tag folders on the computers connected to the network as data sources for automatic scheduled backups. Any changes on these folders would reflect on the next scheduled backup. The ix2 is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux computers, and can connect up to two printers or two external hard drives via the USB ports. It can also transfer data via Bluetooth, but that would have to use an optional USB dongle.
Among other things it has an iTunes server. Seems that most terabyte size personal data storage and backup appliance coming out these days has an iTunes server as a standard feature. To make access to media files a whole lot easier, it supports Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance™ (DLNA) certified devices. This means that DLNA-compliant devices can access, store and playback directly from the ix2. These electronic devices include consumer electronics and home entertainment products; and mobile devices such as cell phones, music players, and personal digital assistants. An easy setup will install the ix2 as a robust media server for digital content for all the family members to enjoy.
Since Iomega is an EMC company, the ix2’s makes use of the EMC’s expertise in the enterprise data storage space. The software is a hardened Linux operating environment with a suite of other programs which incorporate EMC storage technologies with the capability of adding new storage management features in the future.
For the corporate environment, the ix2 can be used as data storage for surveillance cameras. Pretty neat feature as a standalone device. This can be used for real-time recording of what goes on in the office during or after office hours.
The StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 1TB has a list price of $299.99; while the StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 2TB has an SRP of $479.99.