EMC will today refresh its storage hardware and software for mid-market and smaller companies, to make it easier for resource-strapped IT departments to install and manage their own storage systems.

The old EMC Dantz brand will be replaced by the name EMC Insignia, and the new releases will be aimed at companies with sales of under $25m, many of which now face regulatory pressure to improve their storage and backup systems, according to the vendor.

Under the refresh the Clariion AX100 will be Insignia’s storage array. The vendor will also unveil new small and medium-sized business (SMB) editions of data replication tool RepliStor, collaboration suite EMC eRoom, and management software products EMC Storage Administrator for Exchange and EMC VisualSRM.

The portfolio will be completed with the launch of version 7.5 of EMC’s Retrospect backup management software, featuring enhanced automated backup designed for notebooks and desktops.

Pat Lee, senior product manager for EMC Insignia, said that the new editions will provide less capacity than their existing counterparts and have been “tweaked” to make them easier to install and manage. “Classic EMC products often require professional services, but that is not the case with Insignia,” he added.

The portfolio has also been priced for firms with smaller IT budgets. The Clariion AX100 will be available from £3,160, while the other products are priced between £229 and £1,375.