AppliedMicro Offers NAS for OEMs and ODMs

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation announced consumer network attached storage (NAS) systems featuring PowerPC-based APM821x1 and APM8018X processors at 2011 International CES.

Designed for OEMs and ODMs, AppliedMicro NAS systems offer processing power, system design and application software to transform basic storage devices into high performance storage systems and next-generation multimedia servers for connected digital living rooms. As end products, these NAS systems allow consumers to store, stream and share their digital files at any time across any converged device and allow manufacturers quick entry into a rapidly growing market.

AppliedMicro NAS reference designs provide features such as wireless access and transcoding that enable end users with easy access to growing volumes of multimedia content. The company’s APM821x1 and APM8018X SoCs provide advanced NAS solutions that feature a  combination of performance, low-power operation and attractive price points.

Transcoding is a cutting-edge media processing feature in the APM821X1 reference design that allows users to download HD movies and store them in another format, enabling the most effective use of limited storage space while creating interoperability between all types of content. Additionally, transcoding enables consumers to access to growing volumes of digital multimedia content through all display devices connected to the home network such as TVs, PCs, tablets, and mobile devices.

"AppliedMicro sees advanced storage technology and NAS systems as the backbone for the digital multimedia lifestyle as consumers want to store their digital content in one central place and have the ability to access and stream these files anywhere through a growing number of convergence devices," said Vamshi Kandalla, Senior Director of the AppliedMicro Consumer SMB Products Division. "The NAS system solutions offer OEMs and ODMs the ability to take the next-generation capabilities such as storing, streaming, and sharing directly to the consumer. AppliedMicro has been winning designs with leading manufacturers over the last year by offering quick market entry with best-in-class performance and market-leading features at attractive prices."

The consumer NAS market is expected grow in 2011 and deliver more than $1.25 billion in revenues, according to ABI Research.

At CES 2011, AppliedMicro NAS platforms offered a roadmap to next-generation capabilities that improve the versatility of these platforms in the connected digital home:

• Network Performance: High-speed wireline and wireless connectivity improves access for on-the-go sharing through smart phones, tablets, laptops and HD displays.
• Next-Generation: New PacketPro family of embedded SoCs will improve the performance, energy efficiency and security of future generation NAS systems.