Computer maker Hewlett-Packard and software company Veritas Software on Wednesday will announce products tailored for the new Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 operating system. The announcements give momentum to Microsoft"s bid to move into the higher-end of the storage market through its new OS. Storage Server 2003 is designed for network-attached storage (NAS) devices, which are dedicated computers that serve up files and data to computer users on a network.
HP is unveiling the HP StorageWorks NAS 2000s, which runs Storage Server 2003. The product can handle up to 24 terabytes of data and is geared toward customers that have storage and server consolidation needs at the departmental or remote office level, according to HP. A version of the NAS 2000s with 580GB will cost $8,295, said Harry Baeverstad, director of HP"s NAS business segment.
HP expects the NAS 2000s to be available within 30 days worldwide. Additional HP NAS gear will include the new Microsoft storage OS by the end of the year, Baeverstad said. Veritas, meanwhile, plans to announce that its Storage Replicator product is compatible with Storage Server 2003. Storage Replicator enables customers to copy Windows-based data from remote sites to a central location where it can be backed up in a consolidated fashion. Veritas also said it plans to make other products, such as backup and restore software products, that work with Storage Server 2003. Spending on NAS machines declined 13.8 percent last year, to $1.54 billion, according to market research firm IDC. But IDC projects the NAS market will bounce back to $1.77 billion this year and jump to $3.17 billion in 2007.