While the wider channel pro jury is still on whether Thunderbolt will stick, some manufacturers are already working to provide support for Intel’s proprietary peripheral interconnect technology.
RAID storage solutions provider PROMISE Technology Inc. announced this week that its newest Pegasus line of high-performance hardware RAID storage systems will leverage Intel’s Thunderbolt technology.
Intel’s Thunderbolt interconnect technology is designed to speed transfer of data, especially to external storage devices. According to PROMISE, Thunderbolt simplifies the end-user experience by “concurrently supports data (PCI Express) and display (DisplayPort) connections over a single cable.”
PROMISE is targeting its Pegasus Raid storage with Thunderbolt at media and entertainment customers. “With the general availability of Pegasus through our worldwide dealer network,” says PROMISE CMO Alice Chang, “creative professionals are able to leverage Pegasus and Thunderbolt for performance, simplicity and flexibility.”
Pegasus offers superior speed and throughput in a form factor small enough for a desktop or on-location environment. “With the Thunderbolt technology high-speed I/O,” states PROMISE in a press release submitted to Channel Pro-SMB, “Pegasus can deliver performance up to 864 MB/s, more than 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and 12 times faster than FireWire 800.”
Pegasus is offered as a 4-bay or 6-bay RAID enclosure supporting seven RAID modes, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. Pegasus features two Thunderbolt technology ports, a new aluminum enclosure, and a smart fan for reduced system noise.
Pegasus hardware RAID solutions are available through PROMISE’s network of distributors and VARs as well as the Apple store. MSRP for a 4-bay 4 TB configuration is $999, with a 6-bay 12 TB priced at $1,999.
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GEOFFREY OLDMIXON is a Massachusetts-based business and technology writer.
