Author Archives: Mario Blandini

Drobo’s innovative line of data storage devices is finding favor in a huge way with multimedia production studios, video producers and moviemakers alike as they discover the fast, reliable, intuitive, and scalable storage capabilities available with these systems. Over 10,000 registered users of Drobo storage products say they’re involved with the video and film production professions in some capacity, making them the one of the fastest-growing segments of users reaping the many benefits offered by Drobo storage devices. The range of storage solutions used by these professionals runs the gamut, from the Drobo Mini to the 1200i iSCSI.

The professional media and entertainment industry is experiencing a technology wave led by HD video, higher-quality codecs, increased graphics usage, larger digital images, and tapeless acquisition. The result has been an accelerated demand for advanced storage capabilities and astronomical capacities, and Drobo has responded with innovative solutions that include faster, modern connectivity options such as USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, internal battery backup, and the ability to accommodate SSD flash storage media in addition to traditional HDD devices. These professionals understand the devastating effects data loss would have on their individual businesses, and are leveraging Drobo’s BeyondRAID technology to circumvent drive failures that otherwise would have been catastrophic.

Catherine Miller of HNH Multimedia Productions, LLC—developers of interactive storytelling through CD-ROMs, films, commercials, and websites—says her company has been using Drobo products for over three years in their full-service multimedia production studios. She particularly likes the fact that Drobo products are easy to set up and use. She says she has neither the time nor the desire to become a storage and technology expert, and likes the fact that Drobo products take care of that concern for her, providing peace-of-mind and reliability along the way.

RHED Pixel is a video production company that specializes in high definition video production for public service announcements, documentaries, educational pieces, and other broadcast video. CEO  Rich Harrington says his company has been using Drobo since its products have evolved to meet the needs of the film and video industry. Drobo units are deployed as the primary backup, storage, and archive devices for RHED Pixel, handling terabytes of irreplaceable data daily for editing and graphics systems. Harrington says that every computer in the house, including those that are used the field, is connected to a Drobo. They find that the Drobo Mini is particularly valuable as a portable device for field data collection, reliably capturing and holding the data until it is brought back to the studio to be transferred to larger Drobo storage units.

Drobo has been listening and responding to the needs of video and filmmaking professionals, and the result has been widespread adoption of its products within the industry. The modern, high-speed connections, ease of use, scalability, and reliability of Drobo storage solutions has made them a hit with the industry, as proved by the rapid adoption within the profession.

See how the line of innovative Drobo solutions can help you solve your most demanding data storage and protection needs today!

To learn more about  Drobo for Business, register for a Live Demo. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Chances are you already know Drobo. If you don’t, you might want to take a moment to read anyway. We make award-winning data storage devices that include our BeyondRAID technology. Our systems are simple to use, extremely powerful, and flexible. If you agree, we’d love to hear from you. We’re launching “Share Your Drobo Love,” and we need a little help from our avid users. We have a couple great designs for the Drobo Love logo and we can’t quite decide which is best. So, we’ll let you decide.

Drobo Love

The opinions of our users mean a lot to us. Drobo Love is a movement where you let everyone else know how your data storage unit makes you successful at your business, studio, or home. What’s more, if you participate, there’s something in it for you too. Sure, you’ll be helping other users get the most out of their Drobo, and also helping others who don’t yet have their storage organized to help their lives. But there’s an added perk as well. Those who participate and share their story will be rewarded with exclusive swag. You share, swag comes your way… it’s that simple.

Drobo Love Logo Contest

As we alluded to earlier, Drobo Love isn’t entirely locked down in one aspect. We need your help. We came up with some really awesome Drobo Love designs. They’re so good that we just can’t choose. But to be honest, this isn’t about us; we’re just the subject matter. We’re going to leave it up to you. Click  here to go and vote for your favorite design. The one with the most votes will become the new logo. Also, for every 200 votes, we will be giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! Winners will be announced for every 200 votes, and the winning Drobo Love logo will be announced on May 1, 2013 at 2 p.m. CDT.

Thank you for choosing our products and more importantly for your participation in Drobo Love. Together we’ll make sure others have the pleasure of using the same reliable, powerful, expandable, and simple to use data storage devices you’ve come to rely on. Make sure to cast for vote for the contest here. Visit our Drobo for Business Live Demo, and don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+ to regularly to stay up to date with all things Drobo!

DROBO LOVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Sponsor: Drobo

Prizes:  Amazon Gift Cards (Retail value: $50) awarded for every 200 votes.

Eligibility: The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States of America 18 years or older. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Employees of Drobo, Splash Media, GeekBeat, and their immediate family members and individuals living in the same household as employees are ineligible. This contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. By participating in this contest, entrants agree to these official contest rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Contest Period: The contest runs from April 12- May 1, 2013, and the winners will be announced  sporadically (i.e., for every 200 votes). The winners will be notified by an announcement on the Drobo Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/Drobo) and by tweets through the Drobo Twitter account (twitter.com/drobo). Winners will then be given seven (7) days to send complete delivery information by email. (Which must include, but may not be limited to, first and last name, mailing address capable of receiving prize from the shipping carrier Drobo so chooses (no P.O. boxes), city, state, and ZIP code.)

Entry: Participants may enter the contest by fully completing the entry form displayed on the Facebook Page Tab. To be eligible to win a prize, participants must complete all fields of the entry form and successfully submit the entry.  All complete entries, which contain Name, Company, and Email Address, will be eligible to compete in the Drobo Love Contest. Any attempt by any participant to undermine the legitimate operation of the contest, will void that party’s entry. Entry forms will be ineligible if the entry information is not complete and accurate, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion.

General Considerations: If the Amazon Gift Card cannot be delivered to a winner, due to his or her location, or by any prohibition of the selected prize under state, county or city code or ordinance, then the awarding of the prize shall be null and void.  No monetary or other prize award shall be made in lieu of the Sponsor being unable to transfer any prizes.  No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfers of the prize are permitted. All winners are responsible for the payment of all applicable taxes and transfer fees.  Entry constitutes permission to use the winner’s name (first name, initial and last name, city, state) on the Sponsor’s websites or otherwise, and in any statements about the contest for publication purposes, without additional compensation.

Privacy: Other than as provided herein, Sponsor will utilize the names, email addresses and/or mailing addresses of entries to notify the participant if he or she is a winner in the contest and to award the prize.   Sponsor reserve all rights, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to use all information for promotional purposes in the future.  See Drobo Privacy Policy at http://www.drobo.com/website/privacy-policy.php.

Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any contest-related materials; stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or illegible entries; any use or misuse of the prize; or transactions that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction.  Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify the contest if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of contest as determined by the Sponsor in their sole discretion, or for any other reason, with or without prior written notice.

Disputes:  All disputes arising out of the contest shall be resolved only in the federal and state courts of Santa Clara, Calif., USA and all participants waive any rights or objections to the jurisdiction or venue of such courts.

 

 

 

 

Drobo is happy to announce the newest blogs that have been added to Drobo’s website! There are several new specialized blogs for you to check out to answer all of your Drobo questions.

 

Drobo Business

 

Drobo products are easy enough for anyone to use, but strong enough for demanding business customers. Our current lineup of Drobo products for business includes: the B800fs, B800i, and the B1200i. This blog will keep our customers up to date regarding latest product releases and updates, and also offer comparisons of our products for different use cases. What’s more, we will share all new solutions kits we develop for using Drobo business products with the top applications in virtualization, disk-based backup, and replication for DR. When we find ways to make your life easier for our business customers with new products and solutions, we will share them here.

Drobo Reviews

 

As experts in storage, we at Drobo are very proud of our products. But we know that the honest opinions of experts and users outside the company is more valuable than anything we can say. This blog is a link between Drobo and the outside world, where you can read what others have to say about their experiences. We will keep you up to date on the latest reviews of our products (and our responses). More importantly, we will share a steady stream of real-life examples of users and how they use our products. We will also feature guest bloggers—even you, if you want to share your story!

Drobo Performance & Support

 

Any product—regardless of how well it’s designed, built, and implemented—may encounter some issues. If you need help with your Drobo, rest assured we have a first-class support system in place. This includes our Knowledge Base with nearly 500 questions and topics, and some of the best support agents, eager to assist you via phone, e-mail, and Live Chat. This performance and support blog is primarily for highlighting information that is helpful for all Drobo users. Things like tips for optimizing your performance and answers to the most common performance and support questions. If there is a way for Drobo to make our products work better for everyone, you can read about it here.

Drobo Technology

 

 

It is harder to write poetry than it is to write prose. Drobo products are incredibly simple and easy to use, through the sophisticated technology that is built-in to automate time-consuming functions. This Drobo Technology blog will discuss the inner workings of how Drobo BeyondRAID functions, and how it interacts with other technologies in the greater systems and solutions ecosystem. It will also aim to demystify technical concepts and standards in the marketplace the way Drobo does with our own products, making it easy. Top engineering experts from Drobo will break down other technologies in the market, and explain how users can get the most out of them when used in conjunction with a Drobo.

Drobo Business IT

Drobo Business IT keeps customers informed of product releases and updates as sharing new solutions as they become available. Focusing on our current line of business products including the B800fs, B800i, and B1200i our business customers will find the site particularly beneficial.

Drobo Analysis

Drobo Analysis provides a showcase for the latest reviews of our products, our responses, and a steady stream of users and how they use our products. This is the place the world shares their experience – including you, if you want to share your story.

Drobo Support

Drobo Support gives us a way to make our products work better for everyone. From answering the most common performance and support questions to optimizing performance, this is the place to be to improve your experience.

If you would you like to learn more about the experience of a Drobo, request a Drobo for business live demo here. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

 

Hi, the guys from Drobo talking about additional protection for your storage that’s on premises, using the cloud. Now Erik, there’s no more overused term than the cloud right now. When we think of it though in a solution adding value in on premises type of a storage solution, how should people think about that?  When it comes to data protection, you want to make sure your first line of protection is on premises, for fast recovery.

Sometimes there is that critical data you want to get offsite maybe you don’t have a second location, or you don’t have to carry it offsite all of the time, or you want it to get off. let’s say every day, the cloud is great for that. You are using a solution that gets your  data from your local backup server, offsite, on a daily basis, whatever, incremental is best for you  is very valuable. There’s a lot of options, Matt, for doing this today. One of the examples and happens to be a popular cloud service  you may have heard of Amazon, there is AWS storage gateway, which keeps a lot of the on premises stuff exactly the way it is, but in line  then can selectively replicate some of that stuff in the cloud, tell us a little bit of how it works.  One of my favorite solutions for replicating to the cloud, because of its flexibility.

So first, it’s going to be a AWS appliance that sits on your virtualized environment. It is going to sit between the Drobo and the cloud. It is going to replicate those changes to Amazon S3, which is going to give you geographically dispersed copies of your data for full redundancy. And then you had a disaster  recovery situation, you can spin up AWS easy 2  instances, and then point to that storage as a EBS volume, and  access your data, so in a true DR situation, you could spin up your  corporate environment, in the cloud, with all of your data already replicated. Those are some great capabilities that people are looking for. You mentioned starting on premises, which is certainly the best place to start. Erik, this isn’t something you need to jump all into  it can be selective, if you just have one application you want up there, the rest  of it can be protected on premises, because you may not be able to afford everything being in the  cloud, but it is certainly a path toward getting in the cloud. Get all your data  offsite, you know it’s the frequency, and what data you need get offsite  up into the cloud, versus what can go offsite, whether it’s tape or taking storage offsite. Well expect a lot more developments in this area of cloud interacts with on premises storage like Drobo.

If you would you like to learn more about the experience of a Drobo, request a Drobo for business live demo here. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+.