With the shock news last week about the removal of Drive Extender from Windows Home Server Vail and now the news today that HP are out of the Windows Home Server market, people are wondering who might be next to leave – I spoke to Tranquil and they are committed now more than ever to Windows Home Server.
Tranquil are based in the UK and have released a number of Windows Home Servers, including the SQA-5H, the SAFE Server module, and various add-ins, including Home Server Sync, and RipNet.
Given that a company the size of HP are no longer in the Windows Home Server market, the question is how many of the existing Windows Home Server manufacturers are still interested.
Given that Tranquil made a statement last week about continuing to support Windows Home Server, despite the Drive Extender announcement, I thought I would speak to them first now that the HP news was out.
This is what they told me:
After recent news from Microsoft, Tranquil PC wish to assure all of our new and existing clients, that the company will continue to manufacture, supply and support all derivatives of the popular Windows Home Server products
Tranquil PC were the first company back in September 2007 to deliver a Windows Home Server appliance. Over the last few years Tranquil PC has built up an enviable reputation and the widest choice of Home Servers, from the smallest Home Server on the market – the original T7-HSA, the rack / wall mounting twin drive T2 and the multi-drive SQA-5H family. The SQA-5H series delivers outstanding value from the hand built five drive servers – including the SuperStor and Safe versions.
The range is now comprehensive and enviable.
Since the Sept 2007 launch the market has seen alternative Home Servers come and go, Microsoft have launched numerous updates and enhancements, and users throughout the world have come to not only benefit from, but rely on the neat and tidy solution that is Windows Home Server.
Over the last few weeks we have heard concerns over ‘Vail’ or Windows Home Server V2. Microsoft have said they will not include Drive Extender (DE) and that the delivery date will be H1, meaning anytime in the first half of 2011. Of course Tranquil PC will entirely support Vail with an appropriate DE replacement, as required.
We have also recently heard news that due to HP’s recent acquisition of Palm, they are reassigning efforts on other initiatives supporting WebOS , and as a consequence will no longer be supplying Home Server products.
Is this the end of Home Server? Not in the slightest. “It’s a new beginning, an exciting future awaits us” says D J Thompson, Managing Director of Tranquil PC “there is a huge following for Home Server, and the V1 product does just what it says on the tin, which is to deliver an outstandingly simple, reliable and effective solution for home and small business PC user alike. There are other solutions that can provide single elements of Home Server, but there is nothing that delivers the whole package, and there is unlikely to be so in the near future. We are entirely committed to the future of Windows Home Server V1, V2 and beyond. We will also ensure that there is a suitable transition path from V1 to V2 for our existing and new clients.
Tranquil are pledging to not only take care of existing customers, but to ensure that our current successful range of Home Server range continues for the foreseeable future, and that investment will continued to be made into the future of V1 and whatever follows, whenever that may be.
So, there you have it. Tranquil at least are still in the game, and hope to be for the long term.
And we have teamed up with Tranquil to offer our UWHS readers a special deal, more on that here.
