Hitachi has introduced a data storage system so simple and so intuitive to install, use and manage that anyone—with no technical training whatsoever—could master and benefit from its vast capabilities.

Specifically, Hitachi today introduced the Hitachi Simple Modular Storage Model 100, a low-cost, entry-level storage system that serves the needs of a broad set of customers. The system is designed to fulfill the requirements of small and medium-sized businesses with burgeoning data growth and data protection requirements and enterprises with distributed branch offices looking for simple-to-manage, “service-less” storage offerings that are easy to integrate with Microsoft Windows and Symantec Backup Exec.

"As a leading academic institution serving more than 44,000 students, we need to ensure that critical data for our police department, faculty and staff can be securely stored and accessed," said Ron Levine, chief of police, Foothill-De Anza Community College District Police Department. "The Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system's ease-of-use and intuitive management software enables us to concentrate on protecting our student body rather than spending time managing our data. Hitachi 's reputation for quality and enterprise-class functionality are clearly evident in this new SMB-grade product."

"The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing tremendous data growth,” says Raju Chellam, Vice President of Access Markets International (AMI) Partners Asia-Pacific. “SMBs in the region are looking for a suitable storage solution that will help them manage and secure their data in a simple and cost-effective way. This demand for data will fuel storage spend, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 21% between 2005 and 2010."

“Organisations in India are becoming increasingly aware that their business data is the central pillar of their operations,” said Natarajan Viswanathan, managing director, India , Hitachi Data Systems. “To cope with the highest level of data growth, they require simple-to-manage, “service-less” storage systems. The Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system is a simple and low-cost system that installs quickly and runs non-disruptively for up to five years or more.”

Simplicity Amplified on a Massive Scale

The Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system draws upon Hitachi 's decades of experience in both consumer electronics and data storage by converging all of this expertise into a singular product vision:

• Removes the key elements of storage system complexity, and replaces them with intuitive, nearly instinctual controls, enabling SMBs and distributed enterprises to recapture the countless hours in their day previously spent trying to master technical manuals and deal with countless wires, plugs, and clumsy interfaces
• Includes a highly intuitive wizard-based GUI setup and auto-configuration software that enables you to unpack the system and have it fully operational in minutes
• Plugs into any home or office using the same standard power outlet as award-winning Hitachi consumer electronics products
• Scales from under 1 terabyte to nearly 9 terabytes of capacity with no on site IT support required
• Provides non-stop data availability via a unique “plug-and-play” disk slot. In the rare event of a disk failure, Hitachi ships you a free drive following automatic online notification from the Simple Modular Storage management console. When the new drive arrives, you simply plug it into the “plug-and-play” disk slot—with no need to remove or return any existing drives and no disruption to your data storage needs. This user-friendly feature ensures that there is absolutely no chance of accidentally removing the wrong disk drive, providing secure data protection for your important digital assets
• Allows you to easily upgrade to a new Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system when you require even more capacity. If you purchase a model with 1 terabyte and now require 5 terabytes, upon ordering a new Simple Modular Storage system, the patent-pending Hitachi Auto-Migration feature quickly and easily copies all of your existing data and licenses to the new system—a service not available on any other storage products of this scale
• Eliminates backup headaches by creating instantaneous snap or full copies of all your data and offers disaster recovery with optional remote replication, all from a simple icon-based management cockpit
• If your Local Area Network (LAN) is ever down, you can continue to work using the Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system as all changes since the last replication interval are automatically saved to disk. When your LAN is back up, it synchronizes your Simple Modular Storage system using Hitachi 's proven SimpleDR asynchronous remote copy software
• Delivers eco-friendly, power-efficient storage and is fully compliant with RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) regulations, which limit the use of hazardous materials in electronic equipment
• Installs quickly and runs non-disruptively for up to five years or more with virtually no maintenance or service required; backed by Hitachi 's legendary product reliability

The Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system will be available worldwide through a network of over 1,500 value-added resellers, channel partners, systems integrators and the Hitachi direct sales force. Pricing for the Hitachi Simple Modular Storage system starts at just under $5,000.00.