Synology will launch its BeeStation in March: a simple NAS tailored to those who don’t know what a NAS is. The device promises to bring centralized self-storage to a large audience.

Synology will present its BeeStation at its Solution Day in Paris. This is a NAS Light that is tailored to less tech-savvy users. The Synology BeeStation is a complete product with pre-installed software and memory. The device is expected to launch in March and will have a capacity of 4TB.

The Synology BeeStation has the DNA of a NAS. Finally, you have to connect the device to your router, after which the storage is available via the network. It’s not possible to connect the thing directly to a computer as an external hard drive. This has advantages because a NAS is accessible from all of your devices inside and outside your own network. You can connect an external hard drive to the device.

Simple environment

The configuration is done via a QR code. The installation process requires you to create a Synology account. Synology then takes care of the further complexity. The NAS does not run the DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, but rather a simplified derivative: BeeStation Manager or BSM. BSM does not provide a desktop environment, but rather a simplified homepage that gives you instant access to pre-installed applications.

There’s BeeFiles, which offers a clean web interface for managing files, and BeePhotos, which looks like a variant of Synology Photos. BeePhotos will have intelligent features on board and will be able to recognize people and subjects using AI. With the Synology BeeStation and BeePhotos, you essentially provide your own Google Photos, but locally and without any subscription costs. BeeFiles then serves as your own cloud service.

Connect to the cloud

You can also connect the BeeStation to the cloud to instantly back up the system. Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are already supported, but, somewhat surprisingly, Synology’s own C2 cloud is not (yet). All features work through your Synology account and do not require complex configuration.

Simplicity is really the goal. Anyone who can connect the Synology BeeStation to their router, scan a QR code with their smartphone and follow the instructions to create an account has the necessary IT knowledge. This is what Synology claims. The intention is that you can share a BeeStation with family and friends, although we haven’t seen exactly how that will work yet.

We will work with the BeeStation at a later date to see for ourselves its simplicity and functionality. We do not yet know a recommended retail price for the Synology BeeStation.

The device fits Synology’s renewed focus on consumers and less tech-savvy users. The BeeStation belongs to the same category as the BeeDrive, which was introduced last year. This is an external hard drive that comes with useful software so you can back up files and photos from various computers and phones.