Smart Modular's 1.6TB Optimus SSD reads up to 1GB/s, claims to be the largest and fastest

We love us a good speed record and today's comes paired with another superlative: biggest and baddest. Smart Modular Technologies just announced the Optimus SSD, a drive with up to a record 1.6TB in storage that can also read up to a gigabyte of data per second. The 2.5-inch drive also promises write speeds of 500MB/s and will be available in smaller 200GB, 400GB, and 800GB capacities, in addition to that 1.6TB monster. No word on pricing except that Smart Modular insists they'll be "cost-effective." Then again, the company expects IT departments will snap these up for corporate use, so your guess is as good as ours as to how accessible these will be for run-of-the-mill hobbyists.

SMART Modular Technologies Announces World's Fastest Multi-Level Cell and Highest Capacity SAS SSD
Leveraging SMART's Innovative Guardian(TM) Technology, the New Optimus(TM) SAS SSD Delivers an Unprecedented Combination of Performance, Reliability, and Value

NEWARK, CA, Aug 03, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- SMART Modular Technologies (WWH), Inc. ("SMART" or the "Company") SMOD -1.50% , a leading independent manufacturer of solid-state storage products and memory modules, today announced the Optimus solid-state drive (SSD) for enterprise storage applications. Featuring a native Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) 6Gb/s interface and up to 1.6TB usable capacity, Optimus is the industry's highest capacity and fastest(1) SAS multi-level cell (MLC) SSD. Delivering high performance, endurance, and reliability, the cost-effective Optimus SSD satisfies the demands of I/O intensive, web-facing, and cloud-based applications in today's IT infrastructure.

Optimus was developed using SMART's extensive experience in flash technology, SAS firmware, and enterprise storage. SMART's world-class manufacturing and accomplished enterprise organization ensures that the Optimus SSD, as well as SMART's business and support processes, will meet the needs of the most demanding enterprise storage customers.

Available in 200GB, 400GB, 800GB, and 1.6TB usable capacities, the new 2.5" SAS SSD features industry-leading(1) read/write speeds of 100K/50K random IOPS and 500/500MB/s sustained transfer rates. The Optimus SSD also includes support for wide-port SAS capability, providing up to 1GB/s sustained read performance in applications equipped to support this advanced feature. It is designed to deliver these impressive performance numbers consistently across any data type over the life of the product.

"A product that combines enhanced endurance, high capacity, and high performance at a good value would cause a dramatic shift in how storage is deployed, and it would help to drive the adoption of SSDs in the enterprise," notes Joe Unsworth, Research Director, NAND Flash and SSD, Gartner.

The new Optimus SSD incorporates Guardian technology, a comprehensive suite of innovative proprietary features comprised of FlashGuard(TM), DataGuard(TM), and EverGuard(TM) technologies. FlashGuard technology delivers industry-leading flash management capabilities, ensuring that the Optimus SSD can be used in mainstream, enterprise storage workloads throughout its warranted 5-year period. Incorporating Aggregated Flash Management and Advanced Signal Processing technologies, FlashGuard extracts higher endurance characteristics out of MLC flash, allowing SMART to offer Optimus SSDs with a comprehensive 5-year warranty at usage rates up to 10 full device-writes per day. DataGuard and EverGuard technologies ensure that data integrity and drive reliability are never compromised, satisfying the demanding requirements of Tier-1 enterprise storage applications. Additionally, Optimus features full T10 DIF support and TCG enterprise encryption, resulting in an optimal blend of endurance, performance, reliability, and value.

"The Optimus SSD is a game changer. By leveraging MLC flash memory and SMART's unique IP, we provide the industry's highest performance and highest capacity enterprise-class MLC SSD at a value point that we expect will accelerate SSD adoption in the enterprise," said John Scaramuzzo, SMART's Senior Vice President and General Manager, Storage Business Unit. "Satisfying the needs of an enterprise storage customer takes more than just an industry-leading product, it also requires a seasoned team with experience in the enterprise storage business. SMART is perfectly positioned to satisfy all of these needs."

The SMART Optimus SSD will be featured at the Flash Memory Summit, August 9 through 11, 2011 in Santa Clara, CA in booth #400. The new SSDs will begin sampling in September 2011. For additional information on SMART's new Optimus SSDs, visit www.smartm.com.

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