Synology DSM 5.0 Beta Is Out!

WOW, it looks like OS X, Windows 8 and Android got tossed into a blender.  It's sleek, smooth, and runs really well on our DS213j! With new and improved features in tow, including Apple TV and Chromecast support from any mobile device (upon release of the Chromecast dev kit) this seems to be more consumer driven visually, but with all the awesomeness of DSM still present!

We just installed this and will be testing it thoroughly, but until then, read the press release after the break

From Synology:

Synology Takes the Public Beta of DiskStation Manager 5.0 LiveBeta-testing opens with a chance to win one of three new DS214plays

Bellevue, Washington—Hot on the heals of a well-received preview at the 2014 CES, Synology America Corp. is excited to announce the public beta of its latest DiskStation Manager operating system, DSM 5.0. The beta will introduce users to the first major point-release of the platform-ubiquitous OS in almost two years. With it, come a range of features and performance enhancements that people ranging from enthusiasts to small enterprises will find invaluable.

QuickConnect is now a fully integrated into the OS, and makes it possible to access ‘all’ user data without any complex router configuration required. QuickConnect credentials are also uniform across mobile applications, such as: DS Photo+, DS Video, and DS File, taking remote accessibility beyond current limitations, with only a data connection as a requisite. 

Cloud Station is now more versatile then ever. A single client is now able to sync between multiple DiskStations; making it possible to keep specific files, file-types, and folders from work and home current across all devices. 

DiskStations can also sync between each other without any mediating hardware. Businesses as well as families can keep a shared pools of data harmonized whether cities, states, or continents apart.  

New to DSM 5.0 Beta is the Central Management System (CMS). This powerful new utility makes it possible to manage multiple Disk or RackStations from a single interface. It’s also at the core of Synology’s new ability to scale-out. From the CMS, clustered arrays can be aggregated to scale to a petabyte of storage – with the ability to scale-out even further in the near future. 

Additional Features Include:
• Smart Indexing, and file management in Photo Station, with file-trees, and drag & drop album support
• Video Station now supports selective output options, as well as sequential playback
• Video caching in DS Video, for occasions where a data connection isn’t present
• The ability to stream photos to Apple TV, and Chromecast* with any mobile device from DS Photo+
• Facebook, Google+ sharing of files and folders, and YouTube uploading directly from Photo Station

Notable Business Features:• SSD Read/Write Caching, intelligently regulates input/output access to enhance overall performance (Available on XS and XS+ series)
• Smart Hub, monitors the health and availability of local and remote servers
• Apply group policies to multiple NAS servers from a single console
• iSCSI performance improved by 6x
• SPDY v3.1 improves UI responsiveness over HTTPS in high latency networks

“DSM 5.0 is the distillation of over 10 years specializing in network attached storage”, said Thadd Weil, public relations manager at Synology America. “We believe the changes in DSM 5.0 will fundamentally augment the way people think of network attached storage. We will be rewarding our three most active beta-testers with brand new DS214plays. So we hope everyone who can, will dig-in and test hard. The final release is going to be our biggest launch yet.”

* Available upon release of the Chromecast dev kit

Availability
The DSM 5.0 public beta will be available Thursday, January 23rd, and is free to all Synology users with supporting hardware. Visit, http://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/dsm5_0_beta to learn more.