rformance metrics of Hitachi's new NAS Blade alone represent a significant opportunity for the company to aggressively take marketshare from established NAS vendors. Following the introduction of embedded NAS Blades in its high-end systems, Hitachi's strategy is to introduce a series of channel-optimised midrange NAS offerings targeting the fast-growing Windows and Linux-based SMB markets. The strategy calls for these offerings to feature the most advanced NAS technologies in the industry and be available at aggressive price points with multiple configuration options.