HP is to deliver its MediaSmart Server for homes late this year, offering a potentially attractive way for home workers to secure and back up their systems.

First shown off by Bill Gates at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, the server uses Microsoft’s Windows Home Server software and is intended as a way to aggregate files and programs running on home PCs, PDAs, smartphones, cameras and other equipment. Users can also remotely connect to the data via a web address and share files, folders and attached devices with designated users.

The system will be available late this year in the UK with storage capacity of about 1.5 terabytes. It will use an AMD processor but pricing and other configuration details remain to be confirmed, said Rob Crampton, HP category manager.

“The trick will be to have backup and file synchronisation to be automated as far as possible,” Crampton added.