Data is at the heart of any enterprise today, no matter how large or small, writes Anamika Budree, branded sales manager at WD South Africa.
Given the rate at which digital content is growing, storage is becoming an increasing concern, and in a connected and collaborative world, being able to share this information is important for productivity. However, when you take into account how vital data is to the daily operations of a business, storage and sharing are only half of the battle. Protecting this valuable asset is critical to the ability to run a successful business.
For large enterprise, achieving all of this is a fairly simple task, as they have dedicated IT specialists to tackle the problem and large budgets to cater for all of their storage needs. For the Small to Medium Business (SMB) however, an IT department is a luxury they do not necessarily have, and budgets are often tight. SMBs need reliable, affordable, secure and easy to manage storage servers designed to meet their specific needs and fit into their space, to allow them to connect and protect their data and collaborate effectively.
When it comes to implementing shared, server-based storage and backup solutions, many SMB owners are in the dark. Implementing a do-it-yourself disk array is a challenging and often confusing task. The necessary skills to build, integrate and roll out such a storage server are typically not something that the majority of business owners have, nor do they have the time or inclination to learn. SMBs also often do not have a lot of space for extra IT equipment, and cannot justify the expense of a costly enterprise-grade server, storage and backup solution.
In today’s world, the needs of the SMB are very similar to the needs of their large enterprise counterparts. Storage, data sharing and backup are vital to the running of a successful business in the digital age. However while their needs may be similar, they are not the same, and budgets and internal resources often differ dramatically. WD understands both the requirements and challenges of the SMB, and offers the WD Sentinel DS6100 as the ideal solution. This ultra-compact storage plus server is affordable and reliable, using proven technology to deliver full functionality right out of the box.
Sentinel DS6100 is a complete, fully configured solution that is easy to set up and intuitive to use. Based on proven technologies from industry leaders, it is powered by an Intel Xeon quad core processor, and runs Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials. As a native Windows Server, it allows thousands of Windows applications to be deployed, increasing value and ease of use, and with configurations available up to 16TB it offers plenty of storage for the digital content explosion.
The device offers a unified storage solution with an integrated iSCSI storage area network (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS) and server-based backup technology at a very affordable price. It can also be configured as a DNS or DHCP server. Automatic backup and restore for up to 25 users and 50 computers ensures data is always protected in case of unforeseen events and integrated line-of-business applications such as QuickBooks offer additional value and convenience. Measuring just 8 x 9 x 6 inches and equipped with a large, quiet fan, the Sentinel DS6100 can be deployed in any business environment.
By combining a single solution for both storage and server requirements, the WD Sentinel DS6100 is the ideal solution for the SMB. IT allows SMB users to quickly and easily store, share and protect their important data for enhanced productivity, agility and competitiveness in a data-driven world.
