SCOTTSDALE, AZ ---- According to a recent In-Stat survey, over seven in ten small and medium-size businesses that use cloud-based storage solutions also use networked-attached storage (NAS). While SMB NAS represents a smaller portion of the total NAS market, SMB NAS is expected to grow at a much faster rate over the forecast period with revenues reaching $2 billion in 2015, says In-Stat (www.in-stat.com).

Network-attached storage is a specialized server connected to a network that provides file-based data storage services to other devices on the network. NAS systems typically have the capability to support one or more hard disk drives (HDDs), and often include features such as RAID (redundant array of independent disks) and back up/replication services for all the devices attached to the network.

"As the market has matured, the definition of NAS has taken on additional aspects," says Norm Bogen, VP Research. "In particular, system management software has evolved into the most important feature of NAS adoption for several reasons, but primarily because it simplifies the user experience to set up and manage NAS products."

New research findings include:

• 57.3% of SMB survey respondents use NAS technology products.
• North America and Europe will represent 84.6% of the revenue opportunity for the SMB NAS market.
• Survey respondents that "don't use NAS" tend to have less than 50 employees.

New In-Stat research, Worldwide SMB Network-Attached Storage: Technology and Service Innovation Drive High Growth, (#IN1105046CT) provides survey results and coverage of the small and medium business (SMB) NAS market, including survey data relating to the use of NAS and cloud services, as well as an in depth overview of the market and technology trends. Key data highlights include:

• Worldwide total NAS and SMB NAS vendor market shares
• Total NAS shipments by vendor size
• SMB NAS shipments by capacity
• Total NAS shipments by price tier
• SMB NAS shipments
• SMB NAS revenues

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