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Iomega is moving up-market and Computer Associates down-market in an attempt to capture mid-range market share.
The companies have teamed to deliver the Iomega NAS Backup solution — a backup, recovery, archive, and data protection solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) — which ships with storage and security management software from CA.
Each system will include a Windows Powered Iomega NAS server with up to 1.28 terabytes of usable capacity, along with CA’s BrightStor ARCserve Backup data protection software and eTrust Antivirus software. Bundled systems, which also will include a tape drive, will be complete solutions, pre-tested and certified by Iomega for compatibility, according to the companies.
“To deliver truly effective and reliable data protection, a backup solution must be capable of handling large volumes of data from diverse sources; offer intuitive, automated administration so that human shortcomings don’t compromise critical backup processes; and ensure that saved data is free from malicious code,” states George Kafkarkou, CA’s senior vice president of worldwide channel operations. “The combined solutions being offered by Iomega and CA do a tremendous job of fulfilling these key requirements, making them highly appealing to SMBs as well as department-level managers in larger organizations.”
Mike Karp, senior analyst at Enterprise Management Associates, says the combination has the potential to be a winner.
“Iomega, which has been a power on the desktop and on low-end systems, now has an excellent tool set which may give them a chance to become a serious player in the mid-tier market,” Karp says. “Resellers will like the pre-configured bundle because it makes their job easier.”
“This also gives CA another opportunity to move down-market and efficiently go after customers they couldn’t chase before,” adds Karp. “CA is an acknowledged leader with their software. It just remains to be seen if Iomega can step up to the plate and play well in this new arena.”
The Iomega NAS Backup bundle reduces the time, cost, and complexity of recovering from a data disaster, the companies report. It is compatible with existing network backup software because the NAS server manages the tape autoloader directly, sending data across the included SCSI connection to reduce network traffic. A Windows agent to handle one additional server is also included.
For resellers and their customers, Iomega and CA say the NAS Backup bundle lowers the cost of a complete data continuity solution and delivers real performance gains. Disk-to-disk performance reduces backup and recovery time. The NAS server uses a direct SCSI connection to the tape drive, minimizing network traffic, and tape management software works with Iomega Tape autoloader to automate NAS backup.
If recovery becomes necessary, the files do not need to be restored from tape since the actual saved files are stored on the NAS server, so “time-to-data” is minimized and maximum productivity is ensured for network clients, the companies claim.
“The Iomega NAS Backup solution brings a welcome level of integration to the entry level and mid-range segment of the NAS market,” states Iomega CEO Werner Heid. “Integrating Iomega NAS servers with world-class backup, restore, anti-virus, and management capabilities from CA creates an unparalleled data management solution.”
Iomega NAS Backup bundles will begin shipping in August. Bundle pricing will include an Iomega NAS unit, an Iomega Tape autoloader, data continuity software, and a Windows agent for one remote server. Product specifics and pricing will be announced in August.
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