I talked with the folks over at iXSystems about FreeNAS, and TrueNAS, along with their line of hardware at VMWorld. For a SMB, the ability to re-purpose old hardware for something as important as network storage, is a great way to keep costs low. To also have a community of help is an important part.
What is FreeNAS
With Enterprise-grade features, and an Open source license to create a RAID storage array for backups, replication, and file sharing. You will be able to set it up for internal, or external use.
FreeNAS is meant for small home business, or anyone that would like to back up their devices onto one machine. From work documents, to movies, music, and more. You can even share with family and friends.
What is TrueNAS
TrueNAS is for businesses where accessing information is more critical. TrueNAS is Enterprise ready, and uses the same ZFS based storage arrays. With TrueCache, you can leverage bottlenecks, keeping everyone working.
About iXSystems
iXSystems is more than just Open source software. They supply a large line of servers, storage, and more. You can build your whole IT department around iXsystems solutions.