Intel on Tuesday introduced a storage platform for manufacturers building appliances for small businesses offices and home offices -- also known as SOHOs.

The Intel Entry Storage System SS4200x, available to system builders in December, is expected to be available in two models: the SS4200-EHW, a hardware-only version, and the SS4200-E, a version that combines hardware with integrated software.

The platform is based on the Celeron 400 series processor with DDR2 memory and the 945GZ chipset, which incorporates Intel's ICH7-R chipset for better input/output performance, the company said. The platform also includes an external SATA port for storage expansion beyond four hard disk drives.

The SS4200-EHW is "ideal" for manufacturers building storage systems based on Microsoft's Windows Home Server, Intel said.

Windows Home Server is marketed as a consumer-friendly server that's an automatic back-up system for Windows XP- and Windows Vista-based home computers. In addition, the server is a central location for organizing digital documents, video and music.

"The Intel SS4200-EHW with Windows Home Server is a great solution for consumers and home-based businesses to keep that content more secure and manageable, and to enjoy it with friends and family," Steven VanRoekel, director of Windows Server Solutions at Microsoft, said in a statement.

Storage software makers optimizing products for the SS4200-EHW platform include Flaconstor, Open-E, and Wasabi Systems. The SS4200-E platform includes software from storage vendor EMC to create network-attached storage appliances for small businesses and home offices.

Pricing for the new storage platforms starts at $500. Intel has posted more technical details on its Web site.

Demand for storage is growing as businesses and households store an increasingly amount of digital content. In the case of businesses, government regulations and various legal requirements are also contributing to the boom in digital content.