CES 2008 Press Conference: NETGEAR

The standard ReadyNas Duo will have 500GB of storage. A 750 GB and 1TB version will also be available.

And this session is over. Check out the gallery below.

Lo is back at the podium, emphasizing NETGEAR’s commitment to the all access connectivity. They are very excited about the metamaterial antennas in the RangeMax router and HD/Gaming wireless networking kit. And I am excited about their ReadyNas system (it will be less than 0). Honey, get the charge card ready.

Now we come to the demo part of the conference showing us the all access home connectivity concept at work. The quality of the wireless streaming looks impressive, but I am 20 yards back. Now they are concurrently playing video off the ReadyNAS and internet gaming, no degradation of image. He says the storage device is downloading a torrent as well. But now he is going to pull out one of the drives showing off the hot swap feature. The images and gaming were completely undistrubed.

The NETGEAR ReadyNAS Duo is the 3rd new product. Centrally stores and shares all your digital media. X-RAID tech to hot swap and automatically upgrade. Each bay can support 1TB disc drive. Serves PC and Mac, HDTV and IP set top box. Oh yeah. It also features access via the interne and is ready to use out of the box. You can connect your camera to the USB for simple upload. The unit itself is small and has a quiet fan. Nice.

HD Gaming wireless gaming kit. Features lag-free HD and gaming; uses 6 metamaterial antennas; uses less congested 5GHz band. Kit includes 2 units, one on each end and it’s been factory set up. No software CD installation required.

Introducing the RangeMax router. 8 metamaterial high performance antennas. Concurrent dual band (5.4GHz/2.4GHz), “push n connect” for easy set up. More antennas means better network strength. To get all the anntennas into one small box with cool glowing blue lights giving more throughput at further ends of the connection, very directed to each client, not your neighbors. The router has a securtity set up mode to make home set up a no brainer.

Pathela is looking to overcome interference from microwaves, competing networks and these combine to slow down your overall network speed. NETGEAR solution to these challenges is revolutionary antenna technology called meta material antennas employed in all new products. Push n connect will make set up easy and patented X-ray technology for storage.

They are introducing 18 new products in wireless, powerline, DSL and Cable and storage. NETGEAR garnered 6 innovation awards. NETGEAR is working towards what they call the all access home.
Vivek Pathela takes the stage and he is hopped up on Redbull, he is all over the place.

And we are inside. This room is much smaller than the LG conference room, but this one is lined on both sides with NETGEAR employees. Patrick Lo takes the stage, and excitable guy who is really pumped up about the exciting new products NETGEAR will bring in 2008.

Lo is the founder and was there in 1996 who decided everyone on earth should get broadband internet cheaply and thus, NETGEAR was born. Over the last 11 years they’ve become #1 brand in Europe and #2 in USA. They have a market cap of .28Bn at the end of 2007.
NETGEAR introduced 48 new products in 2007, almost one a working week. Lo is moving to make NETGEAR green, over 80% are now from recycled paper. Good stuff.