HighPoint to Unleash Thunderbolt Controller Boards

HighPoint Technologies, Inc., storage HBA and RAID solutions manufacturer, unveiled a series of Thunderbolt-based storage controller boards at the NAB 2012 tradeshow.



This product series aggregates Intel Corp.'s I/O technology, with HighPoint's extensive SAS, SATA and USB 3.0 design and manufacturing expertise, delivering development platforms for storage solution providers.

Thunderbolt's connectivity technology, presents opportunities for HighPoint and solution providers the world over. For 2012, the company is expanding its product portfolio to include a new series of Thunderbolt-based storage expansion and controller boards.

HighPoint RocketThunder Storage Controller Boards
They introduce new possibilities for Mac and PC storage and connectivity solutions.

"Thunderbolt delivers unparalleled performance and flexibility to personal computing," said Jason Ziller, Intel's director of Thunderbolt Marketing. "HighPoint's new controller boards enable storage vendors more options and choices when designing Thunderbolt storage solutions."

HighPoint Thunderbolt controllers are a platform for the development of scalable, performance solutions for storage-intensive applications including A/V post-production, media editing workstations, and media libraries for digital content creators.

"Thunderbolt opens many new possibilities for HighPoint and our clients," explains Michael Whang, CEO of HighPoint. "The integration of Thunderbolt technology is in keeping with Highpoint's core philosophy - delivering innovative, cost effective storage interface technology to the global marketplace."

"Marvell commends HighPoint on the launch of its RT7014P and RT212P Thunderbolt controller boards, both of which offer exceptional capacity and scalability in a competitive marketplace," said Shawn Kung, director of Product Marketing at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "Marvell's renowned 88SE9235 and 88SE9485 PCIe to SATA or SAS controllers are fully integrated into the HighPoint Thunderbolt products to deliver exceptional performance, capacity scalability, on-the-fly AES encryption, and ultra-low power consumption."

RocketThunder (RT7012P)
Thunderbolt to PCIe Controller Board
It is a foundation for the development of specialized storage projects, and is suitable for a range hardware and software platforms. It supports extensive range of RAID and non-RAID SAS, SATA, and USB 3.0 host adapters.

RocketThunder (RT7214P)
Thunderbolt to SATA 6Gb/s Controller Board
For performance storage applications, it supports up to 4 SATA 6Gb/s or 3Gb/s hard disks and SSDs, and is available with integrated HighPoint Host-RAID technology. Moving forward, future Thunderbolt controller boards will be available for SAS 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 interfaces.

Integrate Thunderbolt Technology
into Storage Solutions
HighPoint will assist the professional solutions provider to design, develop and integrate Intel Thunderbolt technology, and its range of storage HBAs into product offerings that can be custom-tailored for client applications.

HighPoint Storage HBAs support Mac and PC
The company delivers low-priced, comprehensive selection of HBAs and RAID controllers. Thunderbolt to PCIe controller board firmware and driver packages will be available for diverse lineup of PCI-Express RAID and non-RAID SAS, SATA and USB 3.0 HBAs.

Solution Providers focusing on Mac Pro platforms benefit from HighPoint's OS X-specific HBA portfolio. OS X device drivers are available for SAS, SATA, and USB 3.0 RAID HBAs.