Data Robotics launched its second generation DROBO external hard drive system. The new DROBO adds FireWire 800 and faster USB 2.0 performance. Data Robotics says that DROBO is now the fastest product in its class for managing and storing digital information.

The second generation Drobo has all the features the original had like the ability to hot swap any brand or capacity SATA drive and RAID security without risking your data even if a drive fails. The new Drobo can support up to 16TB of storage and only needs one USB 2.0 port to operate. The Drobo is available for $499 without any drives.

“Years ago Data Robotics set out on a mission: To create a set of technologies that allows storage to be safe, expandable and incredibly simple. Our customers have been asking for a high-performance FireWire connection since we launched Drobo last year, and this new release is the next logical step in providing users with what they need – and have come to expect – in the Drobo product,” said Geoff Barrall, CEO and founder of Data Robotics.

Via Data Robotics