Other World Computing Announces All-New SoftRAID Lite and SoftRAID 5.1, the Revolutionary Software RAID Engine Powering the OWC ThunderBay 4 Series

WOODSTOCK, Ill., Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the availability of two new versions of SoftRAID, the revolutionary software RAID solution.  SoftRAID Lite is a streamlined software RAID solution supporting RAID 0 and RAID 1 and includes powerful drive health monitoring.  OWC also announced that SoftRAID 5.1, an enhanced version of the full-featured SoftRAID 5 solution, will now be included with the ThunderBay 4 RAID 5 Edition.

SoftRAID Lite
Until the release of Apple OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), Mac users who wanted to create a software RAID had been able to do so by using the Disk Utility application included with OS X.  However, El Capitan removes that functionality from Disk Utility.  Unless they have SoftRAID Lite, El Capitan users will now need to create and manage software RAIDs by using Terminal commands, a more tedious process than what was possible through Disk Utility.  

SoftRAID Lite brings back RAID creation and management in an easy-to-use utility, and it serves as a professional utility for establishing and managing RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays.  SoftRAID Lite provides these key features:

• Create and manage software RAID 0 and 1 arrays
• Enterprise-class drive health monitoring
• Predictive disk-failure analysis
• Certification of drives prior to setting up a new array
• Desktop notifications of drive health and status.

SoftRAID Lite users will also have access to the SoftRAID Forum, a new knowledge base that will be the primary source of technical support for SoftRAID Lite.

SoftRAID Version 5.1
More advanced functionality, including the creation and management of RAID modes 4, 5, and 1+0, and e-mail status alerts, is available in the latest version of SoftRAID 5, version 5.1.  SoftRAID 5.1 combines advanced RAID modes, high performance, enterprise-class monitoring, e-mail notifications, and fast rebuild capabilities that only a software RAID can deliver.

OWC ThunderBay 4 + SoftRAID = Otherworldly Performance
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID and ThunderBay 4 mini RAID, OWC's flagship production four-bay drive RAIDs, are powered by the revolutionary SoftRAID 5 engine and utilize Thunderbolt 2 technology for extreme capacity and performance that enables workflows without limitations.  The ThunderBay 4 is optimized for HDDs with up to 32TB, while the ThunderBay 4 mini is optimized for SSDs with up to 8TB.

"We're constantly evolving, always working to give our customers the most advanced solutions," said Larry O'Connor, OWC Founder and CEO.  "SoftRAID Lite and SoftRAID 5.1 build on an already amazing product to further enhance the revolutionary SoftRAID engine, and combined with the OWC ThunderBay 4 line, our customers will experience outstanding performance, reliability, and flexibility."

Availability and Pricing
SoftRAID Lite is available from http://eshop.macsales.com/item/SoftRAID/SOFTRAIDLDVD/ for $49.00.

SoftRAID version 5.1 is available now for same day shipping from http://eshop.macsales.com/item/SoftRAID/SOFTRAID5RTL/. SoftRAID version 5.1 is an update, and is available to all registered users of SoftRAID 5.x at no charge.

SoftRAID version 5.1 is included with ThunderBay 4 RAID and ThunderBay 4 mini RAID.  The products are available now for same day shipping from OWC.

Photo at:  http://eshop.macsales.com/NewsRoom/images/PR_OWC_SoftRAID.jpg

About OWC
OWC is the manufacturer and upgrade provider of choice for Apple and PC enthusiasts and has been providing OWC memory upgrades for Apple computers since 1989.  For the last decade, OWC has been building SSD upgrades specifically for Apple computers, winning multiple awards while also earning accolades for OWC external and optical drives.  OWC memory, SSDs and a growing number of our products are designed, engineered and manufactured in Austin, Texas.  Widely recognized for its exemplary customer service, OWC provides extensive U.S.-based technical support for Mac and PC users around the world. As a member of the Apple Developer Program, OWC also produces a catalog of upgrades and accessories, having served the Apple community worldwide since 1988.

© 2015 Other World Computing, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Other World Computing, OWC and ThunderBay are registered trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or in Canada.  The OWC logo and the Other World Computing logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation.  SoftRAID and the SoftRAID logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of OWC Holdings, Inc.  Apple, Mac and OS X are the trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.  Intel and Thunderbolt  are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.  Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Other World Computing