Features - Storage Innovations:

ASACA AND SGL TEAM TO PROVIDE DATA STORAGE FOR AVID USERS

ASACA Corporation and Software Generation Limited (SGL), teamed together to announce combined support for Avid users that will enable video editors and media asset managers to easily create, share and archive gigabyte-sized digital files. Integrating ASACA's award-winning FireFly DM Series of digital virtual libraries, SGL's FlashNet Archive Manager software and the Avid Unity TransferManager ensures video editors and media asset managers have virtually on-demand random access to very large, high-resolution video files at a total solution cost close to that of many tape-based solutions.

Ideally suited to requirements of the video editing industry, SGL's FlashNet archive management software seamlessly manages the flow between the video server and the library, providing direct to archive, drag-and-drop file export allowing files to be quickly and easily searched and retrieved at the discretion of the video professional. Integrating as many as 192- 200GB or 250GB Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA) disk drives and delivering up to 48 terabytes (TB) of data per library at an unprecedented 400MB/s, FireFly redefines the near-line storage expectations required by today's video professionals.

"Paired with SGL's FlashNet and Avid's video editing solutions, the ASACA FireFly is fully equipped to address every aspect of the professional video production process," said Steve Atkinson, vice president of Sales for SGL. "In fact, the level of reliability, simplicity, and flexibility offered by these combined solutions easily translates into a new definition of quality and overall efficiency for Avid users."

"The rapid adoption of the Avid family of digital video editing solutions has generated an unparalleled demand for flexible file archival and management solutions," said Chuck Larabie, ASACA's director of sales and marketing. "Compatibility between the ASACA FireFly and SGL's FlashNet Archive Manager bridges the gap, providing Avid editors faster than nearline tape access to their over-sized video files, gigabyte to petabyte archival capacity and unmatched video file sharing and file management capabilities."

Integrated into an Avid environment, the FlashNet enabled FireFly improves the digital workflow, eliminating the need for traditional videotape archival and enabling native file format storage of both master clips and compositions for future use.