Four months is just too long to go without an all new ReadyNAS, so we suppose that's why Netgear is kicking out an all new 6-bay unit (6TB RNDP6610; 3TB RNDP6310; 1.5TB RNDP6350) for those obsessed with storage. The box can handle up to 6TB of HDD space and features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM (up to 4GB supported), 128MB of embedded flash for the OS, a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB 2.0 sockets and support for RAID 0/1/5/6 and Auto-Expandable X-RAID2. As expected, Windows / Mac / Linux clients can all tap in, and the unit streams all sorts of media on the side. Of course, acquiring the industry's first 6-bay small-form-factor NAS drive won't come cheap, with the ReadyNAS Pro starting at around two large.

Netgear is beefing up its NAS options with the new ReadyNAS Duo Gigabit lineup, featuring dual SATA drives and shipping in 500GB (RND2150), 750GB (RND2175) and 1TB (RND2110) capacities. In addition to traditional NAS duties and gigabit Ethernet connections, the drives can automatically pull images off of your camera when you plug it in via USB, and the drives include built-in support for BitTorrent as well. Netgear has adopted some of Apple's networking technology, Bonjour and AFP, to make it easier to monitor and access the drives, but the Duos still operate just as well with Windows machines. Netgear is also launching the ReadyNAS Duo 2-Bay Gigabit, which packs in more traditional server features like HTTP/S remote access, FTP, SSL and ACL security, an iTunes server, UPnP AV and Logitech Squeezecenter. The dual SATA drive bays are hot-swappable and can be managed with hardware accelerated X-RAID. No word on price, but most of these drives should be out in Q1 2008.

That Infrant acquisition sure looks like it's going well for NetGear, which just announced five more ReadyNAS storage devices. The desktop ReadyNAS NV+ line (pictured) gets the big expansion, with new 1.5TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB models, but you rackmountin' fools out there are also getting a little love with the new 4TB ReadyNAS 1100. All the units sport the same Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, RAID 0 / 1 / 5 support (as well as NetGear's proprietary X-RAID system), and hot-swap support as always, but NetGear has improved the management apps and added support for USB drive sharing as well. Pricing starts at $1099, and it looks like the new models are live on NetGear's site now.

Fresh off its acquisition of Infrant Technologies, Netgear is unloading a bevy of new RAID NAS products, a host of small to mid-size business networking gear, and a newfound partnership with Avaya to provide VoIP to SMB customers. On the storage front, the four-bay ReadyNAS NV+ (desktop) and ReadyNAS 1100 (rackmount) devices support RAID 0/1/5 and X-RAID, automated backups and alerting, gigabit Ethernet, UPnP AV multimedia access, a number of USB ports, and room for up to four SATA drives. As for networking gear, the company is busting out its new WFS709TP ProSafe Smart Wireless Switch, WGL102 ProSafe 802.11g Light WAP, WAGL102 ProSafe Dual Band Light WAP, eight-port GS108T Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, 24-port GS724TP Smart PoE Switch, and a monstrous 48-port GS748TP Smart PoE Switch to finish things off. As if that wasn't enough to digest, Netgear is also partnering up with Avaya to provide "an IP telephony solution for small businesses with 20 users or less." The newfangled lineups will be available at varying times and prices, so be sure to visit the read link for specifics on each individual model.

[Via SmallNetBuilder]

Hot on the heels of yet another big time acquisition between Philips and DLO comes news that Netgear will be snapping up the privately-held Infrant Technologies for a cool $60 million in cash. All 34 employees will soon be wearing Netgear badges, and Infrant's CEO will move over and become Netgear's Vice President and General Manager for storage products. Essentially, Netgear is hoping that this move will strengthen the firm's presence in the enterprise and small-business storage realm, as it can now offer up a trusted name in RAID-based NAS products for SMB, SOHO, and the home. More specifically, the ReadyNAS, RAIDiator, and X-RAID portfolios were the targets of Netgear's desire, and while details on branding and the timeframe for the merge weren't noted, it sounds like Netgear's ready to get this party started on the double.

[Thanks, Matt]

A partnership announced today by storage specialist Infrant Technologies and Squeezebox-maker Slim Devices promises to give consumers an easy way to store and stream up to 200,000 songs around the house, no computer necessary. The two companies are now offering a bundle which includes Infrant's 1TB ReadyNAS network attached storage device pre-loaded with the SlimServer software along with two Squeezebox 3's for $1,500, advertising that the coupling signals the "death of the CD player." We'll wager that many of our readers have already kicked the CD habit long ago, but there's no denying the appeal of having a full terabyte of RAID-protected tracks in a plethora of different formats that can be streamed anywhere your little heart desires.