Features - Storage Innovations:

StoneFly OFFERS FREE FarStone VIRTUAL CD/DVD LIBRARY

StoneFly Networks Inc, an innovator of Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage provisioning appliances, has announced a promotion with FarStone Technology Inc, an international software company specializing in security and CD/DVD products. From now through the end of September, or while supplies last, customers purchasing StoneFly's i1500 or i2000 Storage Concentrators or Scalable IP Storage Area Networks (SANs) will receive a five-user license for FarStone's popular VirtualDrive Network CD emulation software.

VirtualDrive allows network administrators to store application program CD/DVD images on their StoneFly-enabled IP SAN, creating a virtual CD/DVD library. Programs can then be easily accessed by end users through the Ethernet network without having to insert the actual CD/DVD-ROM. "Today's announcement underscores StoneFly's commitment to delivering added value to customers through alliances and partnerships," said Bob Preston, vice president of marketing for StoneFly. "By joining with FarStone on this summer promotion, we are giving customers an out-of-the-box solution to store an unlimited number of application programs within their StoneFly IP SAN configuration, with access by multiple users at any time."

The promotion follows FarStone's recent certification in StoneFly's new IP SAN Partner Program. VirtualDrive Network has been tested and approved as interoperable with StoneFly's Storage Concentrator family of IP-based storage provisioning appliances, which enables real-time management and optimization of storage assets.

"By partnering with an iSCSI industry pioneer such as StoneFly, FarStone continues its commitment to delivering quality products to the corporate market," said FarStone CEO Thomas Lin. "Combined with StoneFly's IP-based storage provisioning technology, VirtualDrive Network will provide customers with an innovative, cost-effective solution for storing and managing CD/DVD-ROM information."

All StoneFly Storage Concentrators are standards-based and offer a wide range of performance options. The Storage Concentrator i1500 models are priced starting at $9,995. The Storage Concentrator i2000 FailOver Cluster, which includes a redundant configuration to protect storage volumes and ensure high data availability and business continuity, starts at $14,995. The company also offers complete Scalable IP SAN configurations, which include Storage Concentrators, interoperable iSCSI initiators and ATA disk arrays in configurations ranging from 1TB to 10.5TB of storage priced at less than one cent per megabyte.