Seagate Certified GoFlex Storage System Will See HDDs Dock In TVs, Plug PCs & More
Seagate has announced the Certified GoFlex Storage System for third-party manufacturers, that the hard-drive company hopes will see more GoFlex-compatible HDD docking bays fitted to third-party devices like media players. Until now, only Seagate has released such devices – like the FreeAgent Theater+ – but with the new certification program other companies will be able to dock directly with the 2.5-inch portable drives.
So far, Seagate has signed Antec, GIEC, Hi-Sense, Ionics and Thermaltake up to the Certified GoFlex Storage System, and the company will be showing off GoFlex docks in TVs, notebook and desktop PCs, a plug computer, DVD and a docking station. No word on when we could expect to see the first of these reach the market, however.
Press Release:
SEAGATE UNVEILS CERTIFIED GOFLEX STORAGE SYSTEM FOR THIRD-PARTY MANUFACTURERS DRAFTContinuing the Vision of Interoperability and Removable Cartridge
Storage, Seagate and Partners
Showcase Concept Products at CES
LAS VEGAS, NV – January 4, 2011 – Driving a new era of how people
consume their digital content, Seagate (NASDAQ: STX) today announced, at
the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a new program to allow
third-party companies to incorporate slots on their products to support
removable GoFlex(tm) external hard drives. First introduced in May of
2010
, the GoFlex(tm) family is the
next evolution of consumer external hard drives providing the ability to
use an assortment of storage products and interfaces to correspond with
consumer's needs. The Certified GoFlex(tm) Storage System concept
products on display range from media players and set-top boxes to
computers and televisions, and each will incorporate a slot to accept an
ultra-portable drive compatible with the Certified GoFlex Storage
System. This group of third-party prototype products underscores the
growth of digital media consumption on an increasing number of consumer
electronic products. The Certified GoFlex Storage System will provide a
seamless method by which people can copy, record, access, share and
enjoy more of the music, photos and videos they crave on a wider range
of devices.
The Certified GoFlex Storage System initiative is a certification
process whereby Seagate will qualify products from participating
companies to incorporate slots that meet the specifications of accepting
ultra-portable drives that meet the Certified GoFlex Storage System
standard. The Certified GoFlex Storage System will establish placement
of both slot-based consumer electronics devices as well as certification
of third-party external storage modules. Seagate's certification also
endorses the soon to be established SATA – IO Universal Storage Module
(USM) specification.
"When Seagate first introduced the GoFlex(tm) storage family last year,
our objective was two pronged: first, address the three major hurdles of
storage adoption — interface flexibility, operating system freedom and
enjoyment of content beyond the compute environment. Secondly, Seagate
wishes to expand the use of storage beyond the typical use-case scenario
of back up and migration of files for the computer," said Patrick
Connolly, vice president and general manager for Seagate Retail. "The
Certified GoFlex(tm) Storage System is the next step in realizing this
vision and establishing hard drives as the next generation of recordable
media."
Since the GoFlex ultra-portable drives are also standardized on the new
SATA USM specification
, third-party manufacturers can build GoFlex certified products to
accept a 2.5-inch ultra-portable external hard drive. These third-party
products will help transform the GoFlex ultra-portable drives from an
external storage device to an easy-to-use, detachable storage module
that will enable consumers to access digital content from a variety of
consumer electronic devices. With this initiative, Seagate is actively
involved in leading the shift of digital media consumption from mobile
and computing environments to the living room using home entertainment
devices. These Certified for GoFlex Storage System third-party products
will, for the first time, allow consumers to make choices based on their
own storage needs.
The SATA USM specification is a standard specification to accept a
complete, powered external storage device into consumer electronic
devices. Modules designed according to the SATA USM specification will
enable consumers to instantly access their music, movies, photos and
other content from a variety of consumer electronics products, and to
seamlessly transfer content between devices.
"The growing number of consumer electronics product types with embedded
storage is allowing hard disk drive manufacturers to expand into new
markets. As they expand beyond their traditional home computer markets,
drive manufacturers are pursuing embedded storage solutions in products
other than personal computers," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and
principal analyst with Parks Associates. "Seagate Technology's emphasis
on targeting consumer electronics such as digital video recorders,
gaming devices, digital music players, and digital cameras has allowed
it to expand sales of hard drives and provide consumers with greater
flexibility when it comes to consuming, sharing, saving and enjoying
their content."
Seagate will highlight a variety of applications enabled by USM devices
using the Certified GoFlex Storage System. Additionally, several
consumer electronics manufacturers will be showcasing their Certified
GoFlex Storage System concept products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas. The showcase will include a television, notebook
computer, desktop PC, plug computer, DVR and docking station. The
companies showcasing these new prospective product capabilities include:
Antec , GIEC ,
Hi-Sense , Ionics
and Thermaltake
.