Seagate has dramatically strengthened the security and accessibility of digital content with the launch of its Maxtor BlackArmor storage solution.

It is an AES government-grade encrypting external storage device, and Central Axis technology, a software upgrade that will provide secure remote access and file sharing for existing Maxtor Shared Storage II network drives.

The company unveiled these products at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it also announced its PipelineHD Series hard drives, a new family of purpose-built hard disc drives for DVRs; enhancements to its popular FreeAgent storage solutions and a series of partnerships broadening the market for its D.A.V.E. portable, wireless storage device.

“Consumers are creating and sharing more digital content than ever, and in fact, Americans alone watched 100 billion web videos this year. Content is everywhere, which is fueling the need for more storage everywhere,” said Seagate CEO Bill Watkins.

“Seagate connects people with all of their content, and helps them safeguard, securely share, access, and enjoy it, whenever and wherever they want,” he added.

Seagate’s announcements include:  Maxtor BlackArmor storage solutions - a 2.5 inch portable external storage solution that features National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certified encryption for the strongest commercially available data security on a consumer digital storage solution.

The Maxtor BlackArmor solution is a 160GB portable storage device that delivers the confidence and reliability of robust security in a compact consumer-friendly design.

Employing SeagateSecure technology, this device is designed to keep content locked up in case the drive becomes lost or stolen. The drive also includes the award-winning Maxtor Manager software suite to provide automated schedule back up and multiple computer synchronization capabilities.

Maxtor Central Axis software - a software solution that provides a secure and convenient way to access and share content on a Maxtor Shared Storage II networked drive via a Web connection - without breaching network firewalls. Maxtor Central Axis technology, is expected to be available in March, is designed for existing Maxtor Shared Storage II solutions, and will be available from the Maxtor Solutions website as a free download.

Digital Audio Video Experience (D.A.V.E) technology - Seagate is collaborating with several leading companies, such as Sanyo, HarmanBecker, and PortoMedia to incorporate the D.A.V.E. technology platform into their applications, providing them with substantial wireless, mobile, storage capacity. D.A.V.E. technology will be incorporated into future HarmanBecker high-end automotive media servers, providing in-car storage for movies, music and games as well as a platform for individuals to customize their digital content.

In other applications, D.A.V.E. technology will allow quick and easy downloads of standard and high-definition movies, TV programs, music and more as part of a portable media delivery system with PortoMedia; it will also provide high-definition digital video storage for one of the market’s leading digital movie cameras, the Sanyo Xacti Digital Movie Camera.

FreeAgent storage solutions - Seagate’s FreeAgent family of storage products will offer increased capacities and now provide cross-platform compatibility, with support for the MAC OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems. In the first quarter of 2008, FreeAgent Pro hard drives will be available with up to 1TB storage, and provide desktop and online support that allows users to easily manage their digital files, share them with almost anyone, and sync them to almost anything.

The compact FreeAgent Go drive will be available with up to 250GB capacity in the first quarter of 2008. FreeAgent Pro, Desktop and Go drives come with Seagate