Intel launches SSD drives, targets cloud, Web hosting providers
Intel launched a series of solid state drives designed for data centers focused on cloud computing and Web hosting.
The drives, the Intel Solid State Drive DC S3500 Series, is another effort to replace traditional disk drives with Flash-based technology. Solid state drives are designed to access data quickly and vendors are arguing that Flash has reached the point where it's cost effective compared to traditional drives.
Internally, Intel said it is raising its deployment plan for SSDs from 10,000 units to 40,000 units by the end of the year. CIO Kim Stevenson has noted that Intel's IT department is often a first customer.
The Intel SSD DC S3500 Series delivers sequential reads speeds of up to 500MB per second and write speeds up to 450MB per second. Intel also included data protection and encryption.
According to Intel, the drives will come in 80GB to 800GB options in 2.5 and 1.8 inch cases. Prices range from $115 for a 1.8 inch 80GB SSD drive and $979 for a 2.5 inch 800GB version.
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