Online Storage Optimization

Drobo maker Data Robotics has a major announcement out today that has the storage blog-o-tweet-osphere all atwitter. It has introed two new products, Drobo S and DroboElite. These new models add new functionality to the popular desktop, SOHO and single server SMB storage, making them faster, easier and more failproof. With the new Elite, they’re extending into the hot SMB storage market. We at Tech Field Day got a sneak peek on November 13. The new Drobos were literally unveiled–a black cloth pulled off to reveal the sleek black boxes beneath. To all of the attendees’ credit, no one broke the embargo. (This bodes well for future Tech Field Days–and I’m told a new one is already in the works.)

Today, the pressure was released and everyone has a chance to talk about the announcement. First out of the gate of the Gestalt IT/Tech Field Day crew, Devang Panchigar on his StorageNerve blog with a post that offers a comprehensive summary of the tech, plus a great video with a killer soundtrack. Next up was Stephen Foskett with a Willie Wonka comparison t0 make. He points out that one of the best new features of the Drobo S is its dual-drive protection. As we discovered at Drobo’s offices, both the Drobo S and DroboElite have built-in “self-healing” functionality. In fact, we were encouraged to fail a drive so that we could see it in action. That was fun!

Data Robotics’ BeyondRAID has birthed a new era. At a time when everyone–even personal home users–are facing an onslaught of rich media  such as video and photos, more and more people are seeking a simple, yet reliable way to safely store their data. Prosumers such as professional photographers are already fans of the Drobo–I have no doubt they’ll be interested in the Drobo S with its eSATA connectivity and better performance. The DroboElite is an SMB level offering, with iSCSI SAN support and the potential to expand into virtualized architectures. This is a major departure for the more prosumer-focused company.

I see the Elite catapulting Data Robotics to a new category–something its shareholders should be applauding. It is reaching well beyond the corner it seemed painted into in the past. And Data Robotics should also be congratulated for coming up with such a memorable product name. I don’t know about you, but when I hear “Drobo” I keep thinking it must be some less-famous member of the Muppets. Scooter the assistant’s assistant, perhaps? (And you know he’d need someone to store all the great jokes and songs.)

Here are some other recommended pieces of reading about the new Drobos:

Louis Gray - By Thinking Small, Data Robotics’ Success Looking Big

The Register - Chris Mellor: Drobo restrings boxes to double-up product range
ZDNet - Andrew Nusca: Data Robotics debuts enterprise-ready DroboElite, five-bay Drobo S

Slashgear - Data Robotics unveil new Drobo S and DroboElite backup systems

Network Computing - Howard Marks Drobo Elite - Ready for the Server Room if not for the Data Center

We’ll be watching this company and space!