Strato launches HiDrive Pro range for SMBs

Web hosting firm Strato has launched a bundle of high-volume secure online storage packages designed for SMBs that need to store, back up and share terabytes of data.

The HiDrive Pro range follows the release of the Strato HiDrive 500GB storage package which was awarded five stars by V3.co.uk.

Strato offers UK businesses 1TB or 5TB of online storage with the latest bundles.

The HiDrive Pro 1000 package starts at £49 per month plus VAT, and is designed for business with between five and 50 people, the firm said.

Up to five administrator accounts and 25 user accounts can be set up for this package, and each user can be allocated personal space within the cloud and can share files within a common workspace.

Meanwhile, the HiDrive Pro 5000 offering starts at £149 per month plus VAT, and aims to cater to businesses with 50 employees and above. Up to 20 administrator accounts and 120 user accounts can be set up with this package.

Both the Pro bundles handle unlimited traffic and file sizes, and Strato offers a 30-day free trial.

The 1TB and 5TB packages have been released as a result of customer demand, and represent cost-effective storage options for SMBs, according to Rene Wienholtz, chief technology officer at Strato.

"No other firms offer 5TB of high security online storage, and the price of purchasing an equivalent SATA unit with the associated costs of hosting and maintaining this can run into the thousands," he told V3.co.uk.

"Firms such as web production, architecture and photography agencies need large amounts of space to store, back up and share content. They also need the flexibility to set up user accounts so employees can back up data and access it from anywhere."

The HiDrive Pro offering contains the full data transfer encryption, security protocol and certification associated with all of Strato's other storage offerings, making it suitable for business users, he added.

Key benefits of the online HiDrive repository for business users include the ability to show up on a local computer in the same way as a physical hard drive. Users can access content using any connected device, including laptops, smartphones and tablets.

HiDrive supports Windows, Linux, Mac and Android, and an iPhone application is due out soon, Wienholtz said.

All user information is stored in Strato's datacentres in Germany, where there are stringent data protection laws, and customers can choose the type of encryption that is used when connecting to the online repository.