Netgear announced the addition of a new, high-density network storage system to its award-winning family of ReadyNAS products for Small- to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). The ReadyNAS 3200 is a 2U 12-bay unified storage platform that provides up to 24 terabytes in a single system.

The easy-to-use system offers high-end features such as redundant power supplies and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports at an SMB price point, enabling growing businesses to securely share, store and protect business-critical network data. With support for up to 24 TB of capacity, making it ideal for online server consolidation or backup, the ReadyNAS 3200 solves common SMB storage problems in the most efficient manner to date. Server virtualization, file sharing, disk-based backup and building first-time iSCSI SANs are natural solutions for the ReadyNAS 3200.

With the ReadyNAS 3200, weve expanded the capacity and performance of rack-mount solutions in the award-winning ReadyNAS storage line to a much wider spectrum of SMB sizes, said Drew Meyer, director of Storage Marketing for Netgears Network Storage Business Unit. Netgears recognized leadership position in the SMB storage market makes us a trustworthy and reliable choice for end users and channel partners alike. With the ReadyNAS 3200, we are augmenting our line of storage solutions that provide the high-end features of other, more expensive rack-mount products with the ease-of-use and price point that match the resources of a growing SMB.

 IT managers at small businesses often face storage demands large enough to require enterprise-scale solutions, but can also lack the resources to acquire or support enterprise-grade complexity, said David Reinsel, group vice president of storage and semiconductors at IDC. The ReadyNAS line offers a unique combination of simplicity and flexibility with the protective redundancy and high-performance feature set typically found on more expensive models. The high density and rack-mount form factor of the ReadyNAS 3200 should have strong appeal to midsize organizations seeking an affordable solution.

The ReadyNAS 3200 leverages the highly efficient ReadyNAS RAIDiator operating system. The RAIDiator operating system supports the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), enabling native Mac files to be used without restrictions or limitations, as well as Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. The ReadyNAS 3200 also offers support for file services (NAS) and application services (iSCSI) for Windows, UNIX/Linux and Mac systems.

The ReadyNAS 3200 can come equipped with 6TB, 12TB and 24TB of storage capacity. The solution is available immediately from CDW and can be purchased from Netgears other PowerShift Partners as of late July, at an estimated U.S. street price starting at $4,999. ReadyNAS Vault is included as a 30-day trial of pre-paid and annual capacity plans. ReadyNAS systems come with full 24/7 technical support and an industry-leading five-year warranty.