Synology announced the availability of the DiskStation DS215j, an upgraded entry-level two-bay NAS which boasts improved performance over its predecessor.

Synology today launched DiskStation DS215j, a 2-bay NAS server designed for home and personal users to manage data, stream media contents, synchronize files on the cloud, while keeping their digital assets safe and secure. "The DS215j is packed with advanced technologies to deliver feature-rich applications for users to organize and share their data. Its appealing price tag and intuitive user interface make it a perfect fit for users who are looking to upgrade their NAS or to use NAS for the first time," said Michael Wang, Synology's product manager.

The DS215j is powered by a dual-core processor (Marvell Armada 375 ARM) with Floating-Point Unit (FPU) that unlocks its power in multitasking and multimedia processing. The platform upgrade enables the DS215j to deliver average read speeds over 111 MB/sec and average writes over 87 MB/sec, a 19% gain in writing compared with its predecessor, while keeping its power consumption as low as 13.4 watts in full operation and 5.3 watts when hard drives hibernate. The addition of the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface further boosts its file transfer speeds.

By leveraging Synology Surveillance Station, the DS215j is also a full-featured network video recorder. It supports up to 10 channels of simultaneous high-definition footage streaming at 240 FPS in 720p. The DS215j comes with 2 free IP camera licenses and supports up to 10 cameras, making it an ideal surveillance solution for homes and small offices.

The DS215j runs on DiskStation Manager (DSM) 5.1, an intuitive operating system that provides a host of applications to bring better productivity at work and offer a new level of multimedia experience. Synology was named with "PC Mag Business Choice Award 2014 winner" for the second consecutive year and received the highest rating in every element of the survey, including reliability, value, and likelihood to recommend.

The product will cost roughly 15- to 175 EURO.