Lacie announces a small business server
FRENCH MANUFACTURER Lacie has launched its 5big Backup Server running Microsoft’s Windows Home Server.
Lacie has already come out with several different flavours of its “big” server range for larger networks. But its 5big Backup Server is the first time we’ve seen Lacie opt for the Vole’s Windows Home Server and put it on a unit destined for smaller businesses.
The 5big Backup Server can store up to 10TB on five hot-swappable, lockable storage bays with four USB ports and an eSATA port for additional external storage. The server uses an Intel 1.6GHz D410 processor, has centralised file sharing and can backup and restore ten PCs, Lacie claims.
According to We Got Served, the 5big will support up to 25 Macs and is compatible with Cupertino’s Time Machine. It also supports the Appletalk networking stack for legacy apps.
“For small businesses, backing up data is vital. Until now, storage solutions that efficiently protect and manage heterogeneous environments have been cumbersome, cost-prohibitive and difficult to configure” said Erwan Girard, Lacie solutions business unit manager.
“LaCie has partnered with industry-leading companies to provide a full-featured professional backup server that will automatically configure and back up PCs and Mac computers for a fraction of the cost.”
Not one to miss out on hijacking a free press airing, the Vole’s minions took the chance to extol the virtues of its operating system running on Lacie’s server.
“The combination of Lacie’s 5big Backup Server and Microsoft’s robust Windows Home Server platform allows users to take mission-critical technology and use it for their small business to store, protect and access important data without the need for large IT budgets or specialized environments,” said a Microsoft director of product management.
The Lacie 5big Backup Server is out now for around £892. µ