NETGEAR announced three new enhancements to the ReadyNAS Ultra family of high-performance storage systems.  First, new mobile apps connect smartphones and tablets to ReadyNAS Ultra systems. Second, new firmware increases performance by as much as 50 percent. Third, new pricing brings affordable Intel-powered platforms to home users for the first time.

Two new ReadyNAS Remote mobile apps seamlessly extend stored digital content to Apple iOS and Android mobile devices. This "private cloud" enables easy connections from mobile platforms to personal music, movies, photos and files stored at home. ReadyNAS users may download, upload, view and edit their content securely from across town or across the globe.

The new RAIDiator firmware version 4.2.17 increases high-definition (HD) video playback and transfer speeds by more than 50 percent in Intel NAS Performance Toolkit testing.  In addition, support for the latest 3-terabyte hard drives delivers the highest possible storage capacity.

Prices have now been lowered across the product line, shattering traditional price/performance barriers. Power users can bring Intel Atom-powered storage systems into home networks at the lowest cost ever.

Glenn Palome, a ReadyNAS owner in Holiday, Fla., uses the new Android mobile app to access files stored on his ReadyNAS system from his DROID phone and XOOM tablet. "It's as easy as opening the app and signing into ReadyNAS Remote," says Palome. "I store photos, documents and videos on my ReadyNAS and they all download to my mobile devices quickly and easily."

"Consumer NAS with remote mobile client access will continue to be an important on-premise alternative to cloud services, catering to consumers who don't trust cloud services because of security issues or don't want to add another layer of management complexity," said Pushan Rinnen, Research Director in the Data Systems Group at Gartner, "Leaders in the consumer NAS market will be those who continue to add features that keep pace with changing consumer behavior."

"Global mobile application sales grew 160 percent year-over-year. NETGEAR is committed to meeting consumer demands for remote access and home media application performance." said Tiffany Pham, Product Line Manager for Consumer Storage. "Gartner recently ranked NETGEAR as the worldwide leader in sub-$5000 storage systems based on revenue(1), and the ReadyNAS Ultra Family continues to bring mobility and performance at the best price on the market."

Pricing and Availability

The new pricing for NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra and ReadyNAS Ultra Plus systems, effective immediately:

The ReadyNAS Remote mobile app is available now for $2.99 in the iTunes Store and the Android Market.