N-Tec Distributor for Ci Design

The Ismaning-based storage manufacturer N-TEC
GmbH is taking over the exclusive distribution of server chassis and storage
products from Ci Design Co., Inc. for the
European market.

The products of the US manufacturer Ci Design were developed for
the operation of high-capacity servers and storage solutions in data centres.

Products with 8 to 62 HDD bays are available. As different types of storage
media can be mixed and matched, systems based on Ci Design products can be
scaled and thereby offer investment protection. 2.5" and
3.5" HDD and SSD with an SAS or SATA interface can be used.

The storage solutions manufacturer N-TEC is thereby supplementing its range
of products from its own production with storage and server
chassis from Ci Design. A complete family of server chassis with 8, 16, 24, 50
and 62 HDD bays has been created in close collaboration between the two
partners.

Ci Design is thereby relying on the
expertise that N-TEC has in the server and storage environment.
N-TEC drew on its own experience from day-to day business in product
development in working with Ci Design.

"When we market products that
do not come from our own production facilities, they must fulfil a number of
key points. Of course, the first of these is reliability. This is achieved by
using high quality components such as Zippy power supplies, a well-thought out
and sophisticated ventilation system for the components to be integrated, as
well as protection of the HDDs against vibration. Second, the products must be
available for a long life cycle and always with the same configuration. Solutions
with the same product number should not vary in features and functionality.
Unfortunately, this is no longer a matter of course these days, but it is a
mandatory requirement for us and our customers. And naturally, the prices must
be competitive," says Sven Meyerhofer, MD, N-TEC.

Since the requirements are different depending on the type of customer, NTEC
offers products from Ci Design that are empty, as a ‘ready to assemble’ (storage) server
chassis, as part of a barebones server or as a basis for pre-configured systems.

In terms of complete systems from N-TEC, the customer can choose from a
range of server, NAS or SAN solutions.

Since N-TEC has already been using the Ci Design chassis for many years for its
own rapidNAS, rapidServe and rapidCore solutions, the long-term
supply of replacements parts is assured, in some cases for ten years or more.

"If customers have special
requirements, we also offer product customisation to meet customer requests.
This can range from simple visual modifications (e.g. colour, logo), mechanical
changes and upgrades (e.g. front covers), all the way up to complete new
development. We offer a complete line of services from development, to
prototyping and series production," continues Meyerhofer.