Just because a business is small doesn't mean that it's got small data needs. Businesses today can operate with a leaner staff than ever before and savvy business execs know that securing a wealth of data is the trump card when it comes to gaining an edge over the competition. However, until recently small and midsized businesses had limited options in terms of data storage protection. While businesses of less than 30 users can often get along with basic data storage needs, growing small and midsized businesses (SMB's) have been left wondering how to handle their growing storage needs without breaking the bank.

With the June release of the NetApp StoreVault S500, small and medium sized businesses can finally get a taste of enterprise grade data storage devices. With the NetApp StoreVault S500, business owners won't need to worry about choosing between or having separate boxes for iSCSI, NAS, or Fibre Channel. The S500 handles all of the major protocols.

The NetApp StoreVault S500 is designed for businesses that require between a half terabyte to 6 terabytes of storage, employ between 50 and 1,000 individuals, and have a small or part-time IT staff. Businesses that have been feeling stymied by a long backup window or cramped for storage space can add massive amounts of space with the NetApp StoreVault S500 for around $5000. For small businesses that need to spend conservatively until growth warrants additional space, the NetApp StoreVault S500 is built to scale incrementally from 1TB to 6TB.

EMC was the first to break into the SMB market from the enterprise market several years ago with its Clariion AX150 and AX150i entry-level storage arrays. The release of NetApp StoreVault S500 means healthy competition to fuel innovation in the SMB market. Dell is also expected to enter into the SMB market in the near future and really turn up the heat in this sector of the storage industry.

The difference between the Clariion products and the NetApp StoreVault S500 is that the NetApp StoreVault S500 will only be available through VAR's (Value Added Resellers) like Sunstar Company as opposed to mass-market e-tailers like CDW. This more selective form of distribution means that SMB's will be getting much more than just high quality data storage hardware. The hardware alone can be ineffective if it doesn't suit the business needs. When sold through VAR's, purchasers of StoreVault products gain access to the knowledge and services of qualified, certified network storage consultants.

Small businesses highly depend on absolute security of their data to run their businesses from customer data files, to research and development documentation, to their proprietary software. Where businesses once would have had to either go without or spend $15,000 to $30,000 for the type of data storage they require, they now can have an economical, rock-solid, scaleable option for data storage with the NetApp StoreVault S500.