Stories about: LSI Logic

Hewlett-Packard's $1.6 billion offer today to purchase grid-storage vendor 3Par came as a surprise to many tech industry watchers, but it's a smart move, both offensively and defensively.

In just a few short years, storage virtualization, also known as block virtualization, has proven its worth in the large enterprise and traveled that well-worn path from pricey boutique solution to affordable commodity. As a standard feature in all but the most modest mid-tier storage arrays, storage virtualization soothes a wide range of storage management woes for small and mid-size organizations. At the same time, dedicated solutions from top-tier vendors deliver the greatest ROI to large shops managing large SANs with intense data availability requirements.

In just a few short years, storage virtualisation, also known as block virtualization, has proven its worth in the large enterprise and traveled that well-worn path from pricey boutique solution to affordable commodity. As a standard feature in all but the most modest mid-tier storage arrays, storage virtualization soothes a wide range of storage management woes for small and mid-size organizations. At the same time, dedicated solutions from top-tier vendors deliver the greatest ROI to large shops managing large SANs with intense data availability requirements.

The world's six largest computer drive makers Tuesday published the final specifications for a single, full-disk encryption standard that can be used across all hard disk drives, solid state drives (SSD) and encryption key management applications. Once enabled, any disk that uses the specification will be locked without a password -- and the password will be needed even before a computer boots.

As the old saying goes, "When you're holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail." For me, this means more than just seeing a storage angle everywhere I look. Lately, it also means seeing the environmental impact of every product I review.

We tested four servers, an IBM x3550, a Dell 1950, an HP DL160 and an HP DL360.

As long as IT managers encrypt data using only one vendor's products, the keys used to decrypt that data can be relatively easy to manage. But it will likely become much more complicated as more vendors build encryption into more and different types of storage devices, each with their own key management system, and as users need to move encrypted data among devices for disaster recovery, legal discovery or simply everyday business communications.

Startup Nantero has built a carbon nanotube-based memory wafer using standard semiconductor fabrication processes. This removes a significant hurdle in commercializing the seemingly exotic NRAM (non-volatile RAM) that could replace DRAM, SRAM and flash memory with a universal memory design.

Semiconductor manufacturer, LSI Logic, will acquire Agere Systems, creating a combined chip-making company with enough scale to compete for greater market share in segments including hard disks and digital media players.

Microsoft on Tuesday offered a glimpse at the next version of its Windows Media products, including new server software and developer tools, and an improved encoding technology that it claims will allow broadband users to play digital audio and video files over the Internet as easily as changing channels on a TV.