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EMC releases Retrospect 8.0 backup and recovery software for Apple Mac

Tuesday, January 06, 2009 - 09:07 AM EST

EMC Corporation today announced a major release of EMC Retrospect backup and recovery software for Apple Mac. Retrospect 8.0 has been redesigned from the ground up with redesigned interface, a powerful new engine, and a host of new and improved capabilities.

Positioned between Apple's Time Machine and enterprise-level backup applications, Retrospect 8.0 provides the features, ease of use, flexibility, and reliability required by professional users and small to medium-sized businesses.

"Retrospect just celebrated its 20th anniversary as a leader in Mac data protection," said Peter Wharton, vice president of marketing, EMC Consumer and Small Business Products Division, "and what better way to begin its third decade than with the most advanced version of Retrospect ever, complete with a contemporary, Mac-specific user interface, Mac-first features, and support for Leopard and Snow Leopard technologies."

Instead of being limited to a single application (as in previous releases), Retrospect 8.0 is made up of several individual components that work together. At its core is the powerful, new Retrospect 8.0 engine, called the Retrospect server, which runs as a behind-the-scenes process in Mac OS X to handle all backup, restore, and copy functions. Each Retrospect server can handle multiple activities simultaneously, such as backing up two computers while restoring a third.

Retrospect 8.0's new user interface represents a complete departure from previous versions. The Retrospect console uses interface elements similar to iTunes and Mac OS X Server Admin, so that it feels immediately familiar and is easy to navigate. There are assistants to guide the user through common operations and explanatory tool tips that appear when the mouse pointer hovers over toolbar buttons.

This new architecture of separate-yet-integrated components provides seamless management for users with varied needs. To the individual user with Retrospect 8.0 Desktop, Retrospect appears as a single, unified application, while users with Retrospect 8.0 Single Server or Multi Server licenses will be able to remotely manage one or more networked Retrospect servers from a single window, simplifying management tasks and streamlining workflow.

"In building Retrospect 8.0, it was important to us that the user interface was elegant and familiar to Mac users," said Eric Ullman, director of product management for Retrospect. "Mac users enjoy and expect a high level of sophistication and usability in their applications, and Retrospect 8.0 has been designed with that in mind. We're proud of the new version of Retrospect for Mac, and we know that Mac users will appreciate the contemporary look and feel of this release, not to mention all the new and improved features we've added, several of which are available only on the Mac."

Retrospect 8.0 delivers many new features, as well as a multitude of improvements to existing features. The following features are some of the most anticipated capabilities in this new release:
• All-new, customizable user interface with remote management capabilities

• Powerful new engine capable of multiple, simultaneous backup, restore, and copy operations

• Backup-to-disk features that include support for local and network hard disks, combining multiple volumes into a single destination, adjustable storage usage limitations, and disk grooming to remove out-of-date backup data and free up space

• True disk-based backup staging for later transfer to tape or portable media, as well as transfers of individual point-in-time backups between destination media sets

• Simultaneous streaming of data to multiple disk or tape storage systems

• Improved tape library barcode tracking and automatic tape drive cleaning

• Custom reporting on nearly any piece of information that Retrospect tracks, including sources not backed up in n days, available/used media set capacity, and performance data

• Better email notification for various completed operations, media requests, and warnings

• Certified AES-256 encryption of backup data

• Advanced network client support with support for multiple network interfaces and a wake-on-LAN feature to wake sleeping computers for backup, reducing overall energy expenditure

• Complete backup of physical and virtual Windows Server 2003/2008 and Windows XP/Vista clients, including those running within VMware Fusion and Parallels, with system state preservation and backup of open files

A public beta of Retrospect 8.0 for Mac is available for download from http://www.retrospect.com. EMC strongly recommends that users not rely on beta software for actual backups, as unexpected bugs in the software may cause data loss.

- Retrospect 8.0 for Mac will ship during the first quarter of 2009 in three English language editions, (all prices listed are U.S. suggested retail pricing):

- Retrospect 8.0 Desktop 3-User, $129 new, $59 upgrade from Desktop edition: Protects a single, non-server Mac and up to two additional networked Mac, Linux, or Windows desktops and laptops; additional desktop/laptop client licenses and support and maintenance will be available separately

- Retrospect 8.0 Single Server, $809 new, $539 upgrade from Workgroup edition: Protects a single Mac OS X Server and an unlimited number of networked Mac, Linux, and Windows desktops and laptops; includes 1 year support and maintenance; additional server client licenses will be available separately;

- Retrospect 8.0 Multi Server, $1,669 new, $939 upgrade from Server edition: Protects an unlimited number of networked Mac, Linux, and Windows servers, desktops, and laptops; includes 1 year support and maintenance.

Individuals and organizations that purchased a new Retrospect 6.1 license on or after January 14, 2008, qualify for a free upgrade to Retrospect 8.0. Details will be made available when version 8.0 ships later this quarter. Localized language editions are expected to be available in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese later this year.

Learn more about Retrospect 8.0 for Mac here.

Source: EMC Corporation