Flash storage vendor STEC is is coming out on Monday with 2TB PCIe and SAS SSDs in configurations for enterprise equipment vendors.

The new STEC 2 TB s840 SAS SSD and 2 TB s1120 PCIe Accelerator SSD, along with the company's updated EnhanceIO software, are providing solid-state storage solutions that solve many of the performance and optimization challenges in the enterprise storage market, the company claims.

In addition, STEC's EnhanceIO software substantially improves the performance, manageability and usability of all drives -- the software is drive-agnostic -- while optimizing virtualization applications across Windows and Linux environments.

"Our storage system requires flexibility to meet the demanding workloads and provide high data throughput across a variety of applications," said Daniel Iniguez, IT manager, NYX Cosmetics. "We required a storage solution that could not only meet our hardware demands, but that also combined several SSD formats with caching software that improved performance and manageability. STEC's SSD drives have exceeded our expectations and, working in tandem with EnhanceIO, address high storage loads and caching without fail. In an environment that demands quick execution and measurable productivity, we have seen clear results."

The newest member of STEC's s800 Series SAS SSDs, the versatile 2 TB s840 drive works with existing enterprise storage infrastructures. The s840 appears to any system or RAID controller as a standard drive that can be managed by existing storage management tools, delivering plug-and-play architecture. The 2 TB s840's proprietary controller allows the product to support 12 to 25 percent greater capacity than other SAS SSD on the market. The drive's PowerSafe Technology also protects against unscheduled power outages.

The 2 TB s1120 improves data access without expanding hardware footprints and operational costs, uses low power - less than 25 W - and promises high performance and endurance. The s1120 PCIe Accelerator enables multiple SSDs to be deployed on a single server and features data-protection functions such as PowerSafe technology.

STEC's new SSDs are made using MLC (multilevel cell) flash, the type used in consumer products, which is less expensive than earlier enterprise flash technologies.

The EnhanceIO Cache Software is designed to help users easily create, configure and analyze existing storage environments with scalability. The new version adds non-disruptive write-back caching that improves performance while reducing latency with improved data integrity. The software upgrade also includes usability improvements and a graphic user interface that compiles additional statistics and analytics.

The STEC 2 TB s840 SAS SSD and 2 TB s1120 PCIe Accelerator SSD will be available in February with volume pricing starting at $7,995 and $9,425, respectively. EnhanceIO Cache Software is priced at $295 for Linux and $495 for Windows, and is available now for download from STEC's EnhanceIO page.