Quantum paves DLT roadmap
Quantum paves DLT roadmap
DLT tape specialist Quantum has laid out a four-year road map, chalking up its battle plans to take on LTO makers.
For the first time since it acquired fellow tape maker Benchmark, and the first time in more than two years, Quantum disclosed its roadmap for its digital linear tape (DLT) technologies. The roadmap is a two-pronged aggressive strategy for its DLT portfolio, from its lower end ValueDLT technology, to its high end enterprise class Super DLT offerings. Quantum also promises compatibility between the two product lines.
The first Benchmark product to be branded under Quantum is the ATL ValueLoader DLT VS80. Quantum said the ValueLoader uses a single DLT VS80 tape drive with an eight-cartridge capacity and up to 640 GB of data storage and 21.6 GB/hour throughput. Quantum has integrated the ValueLoader into its ATL L-Series autoloader product line.
Following on from the VS80 is the VS160, with 160 GB compressed capacity and a compressed throughput of 16 MBps, which Quantum plans to unveil first quarter 2003 and ship early next year.
In the super drive segment of the DLTtape product roadmap, Alex Tan, Quantum's general manager Asia Pacific sales and marketing, told Image & Data Manager that new media and technology will come to market about every 18 months.
The SDLT 600 will be introduced in quarter three, 2003. With the new SDLT 600 drive, customers will enjoy increased performance and faster data transfer rates. The SDLT 600 will push data at speeds of 64 MB/sec (compressed), and a per-cartridge capacity of 600 GB of storage (300 GB native). This is nearly double the capacity and speed over the current SDLT 320 drive, according to Quantum.
In addition to the capacity and speed figures for the five generations of SuperDLT and ValueDLT drives, the new product roadmap outlines Quantum's plans for its entire line of tape drives. The roadmap detailed backward-read compatibility within the ValueDLT product roadmap; backward-read within the SuperDLT product family; and backward-read capabilities between Quantum's SuperDLT and ValueDLT product lines.
Competing with linear tape-open (LTO) vendors, including IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Seagate Technology, Quantum is pushing its drives and media to hit the market before the LTO vendors release third-generation LTO technology. Quantum sizes the installed base for DLT tape drives at nearly 2 million and said there are more than 80 million DLTtape media cartridges shipped to date.
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