Drobo launches rack system aimed at SMBs

Drobo on Wednesday will launch a new 12-bay storage device designed for racks and small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).

The B1200i is designed for IT environments that service 500 to 1,000 people, said Erik Pounds, director of product management at Drobo. "We're looking to bring automated tiering to SMBs," said Pounds. The idea is that SMBs can swap information between solid-state drives as well as hard disk without any upfront decision-making or configuration issues.

According to Drobo, the B1200i is its first rack-only system. The launch of the B1200i, its most powerful system yet, indicates a move upstream for Drobo, which historically has focused on SMBs and prosumers.

Among the key details:

• The B1200i has 12 bays.
• Supports VMware, Microsoft Exchange and other applications.
• Automated data protection, thin provisioning and tiering.
• And can efficiently use SSD drives without admin support.

The systems start at $9,999 for 12TB of SAS storage. Including SSDs, Drobo's B1200i will come in just under $20,000.

Related:

• A closer look at the Data Robotics Drobo B800i
• Drobo rolls out SMB storage line
• Data Robotics launches new USB 3.0 Drobo S, lands HP as distributor
• Data Robotics launches DroboPro FS aimed at SMBs
• Data Robotics' CEO Tom Buiocchi: Drobo threads prosumer, SMB needle