Apparently, Seagate will not only increase the maximum storage space, but it will also enable higher transfer speeds by means of the 6Gbps SAS interface. Known as the Constellation ES, the HDD will have a capacity of no less than 3TB and will come to replace the Baracuda ES. The latter spins at 7,200RPM and has up to 2TB of storage of its own.

In addition to the 3TB model, Seagate is supposedly also planning to make advancements on the 2.5-inch segment. Currently, the Baracuda ES 2.5-inch tops at 500GB. The Constellation will supposedly have 1TB, which means it will be the world’s highest capacity compact storage device. Furthermore, the report suggests that even a new, 2.5-inch Savvio (the famed 600GB unit with a rotary speed of 10,000RPM) will be upgraded to 750GB.

The Constellation ES 3TB device should show up later this year, whereas the 2.5-inch, 1TB unit is expected to debut around the middle of 2010. Unfortunately, there is no knowing when the Savvio will come out. Of course, it should be noted that WD also intends to unleash its own 3TB unit, although it is unclear whether it will also be meant for the enterprise or if it will cater to consumer needs.

OCZ Technology Group today announced its collaboration with SandForce on OCZ’s next generation of mainstream and enterprise solid state drives (SSDs). Based on the highly-anticipated SandForce SSD Processor family, OCZ’s new line of SSDs will be the pinnacle of storage options.

To accommodate a wide range of consumer and enterprise storage applications, OCZ’s impending solutions will feature various configurations of SandForce’s innovative SF-1500 and SF-1200 SSD Processors and multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory.

The SandForce-based SSD line will be available in multiple interfaces including 3Gb/s SATA and 6Gb/s SAS in capacities ranging from 50GB to 400GB, addressing an assortment of storage and infrastructure requirements.

“OCZ is committed to delivering SSD solutions to our enterprise clients and also has a strong following for our consumer solid state products; partnering with SandForce enables us to offer an even more robust offering to both these markets,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “Together with SandForce we are focused on making enterprise-class MLC-based SSDs which offer excellent reliability and performance coupled with superior total cost of ownership for all our customers.”

The OCZ Technology Group aims to take storage to the next level with SandForce SSD Processors, further increasing the advantages of SSDs over traditional hard disc drives for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), enterprise clients, and enthusiast consumers who place a premium on performance, total cost of ownership (TCO), and efficiency.

The first product announcements will be made in the next few weeks leading up to the 2010 International CES show.

Western Digital announced today the debut of its new WD S25 2.5-inch traditional hard drive, featuring a SAS interface.

Designed for the traditional enterprise market segment, the new drive is the company’s first SAS-based product, offering an alternative for users looking for a high-performance storage solution. At the same time, it is aimed at mission-critical enterprise server and enterprise storage applications, such as data centers and large data arrays.

“Our entry into the traditional-enterprise market continues the strategic expansion and diversification of WD’s broad market and product portfolio, and significantly increases our addressable revenue opportunity,” said John Coyne, president and CEO of WD. “As with our previous market expansion and diversification efforts, WD will approach the traditional enterprise space with the same focus on quality, customer service, technology and value that has earned us strong positions in every market we serve.”

According to the Lake Forest, California-based storage vendor, the WD S25 drive is capable of delivering a high level of performance, thanks to the adoption of the 3Gb/s and 6GB/s SAS interfaces. This enables the drive to deliver sustained sequential data rate of 128 MB/s. Furthermore, it can provide as much as 300GB of storage space and comes with a rated 10,000 RPM platter speed.

“We are thrilled to launch a mission-critical-class hard drive to these high-end OEM customers,” said Tom McDorman, vice president and general manager of WD’s enterprise storage solutions business unit. “This new family of SAS products adds to our existing large capacity SATA near-line enterprise product portfolio. This first product is the foundation upon which we will expand into the previously untapped traditional enterprise market.”

The drive is already available to select OEMs, and is shipping to the two largest OEMs in the industry, as Western Digital informs.