D-Link, a leading provider of networking and communication solutions, today announced that one of its home router products has won an award from red dot, one of the world's leading design award organisations.
D-Link's DIR-685 all-in-one 802.11n storage router received honourable mention from red dot for product design this year. Created with convenience and functionality in mind, the router is a stylish enhancement for any modern home.
"This award demonstrates our expertise in networking solutions as well as our ability to create smart designs that enhance a home environment," said Tobie van Schalkwyk, country manager for D-Link in South Africa. "We put a lot of effort into making the DIR-685 compact and chic."
The DIR-685 is the central control unit for a digital home. The integrated 802.11n wireless LAN provides a fast Internet connection to wireless computers and smooth streaming of music/video from stored media on the network, to TV and stereo equipment. Without any cumbersome cables or protruding antennas, the DIR-685 can share disk space wirelessly among family members and download personal documents from the Internet. The router's multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology ensures wireless data transfers are fast and reach all wireless devices in the home.
One unique feature is its user-friendly interface on a 3.2-inch LCD screen that displays the status of connected devices graphically. The home router can also be set up to display digital photos, streaming video, weather forecasts and other Internet content in up to 1.6 million colours.
The WiFi router also provides network attached storage (NAS) and SharePort technology to share printers and scanners. The DIR-685 also comes with a 4-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit switch to connect multiple wired devices such as computers, media layers and game consoles for fast file transfer and lag-free online gaming. An optional 2.5-inch hard drive, with up to 500GB of disk space, can be installed in the router to provide network storage.
Moreover, the DIR-685 uses D-Link Green technology to help conserve energy. This proprietary technology automatically recognises port activity and cable length in order to adjust power usage by consolidating multiple functions in a single device instead of many separate products. In idle mode, power to the LCD screen is automatically shut off.
The Red Dot Design Award, along with the iF Design Award, is one of the world's most prestigious industrial design awards. This year, red dot selected the DIR-685 from 3 231 entries submitted by 1 400 contestants from 49 countries, indicating the extremely high quality of the D-Link product.
Earlier this year, D-Link won the 2009 iF (International Forum) Product Design Award for a network camera - the first in the product line to receive such an honour. The Red Dot Design Award for the DIR-685 further confirms D-Link's excellence in product design.
D-Link's award-winning products will be presented in a special exhibition entitled "Design on Stage" for four weeks, starting from 30 June to 26 July at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany. As a recipient of this award, the D-Link DIR-685 will also be displayed in the Red Dot Online Exhibition (www.red-dot.de) from July 1 for about one year.
The DIR-685 storage router is scheduled to be on the market by the end of June. D-Link will announce the suggested retail price soon.
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D-Link
Celebrating 23 years of “Building Networks for People”, D-Link has grown into a billion-dollar global designer, developer and manufacturer of networking, broadband, digital electronics and voice and data communications products. D-Link is responsible for 21% of all LAN switching ports worldwide, second only to Cisco. The company's solutions are ideal for digital home, small- to medium-sized business (SME) and enterprise environments. D-Link was recently included in BusinessWeek Magazine's 'Info Tech 100', a listing of the world's best IT companies.
For more information, visit http://www.dlink.co.za.
D-Link Green technology
D-Link Green technology can detect a link's status and cable length, and adjust power usage accordingly. By reducing power consumption, less heat is produced, resulting in extended product life and lower operating costs.
red dot red dot stands for belonging to the best in design and business. The red dot is an internationally recognised quality label for excellent design that is aimed at all those who would like to qualify their business activities with the help of design. The qualification is based on the principle of selection and presentation. Outstanding design is selected in the international design competition 'red dot design award', by competent expert juries in the fields of product design, communication design, and design concepts.
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