Compact Tape Drive Shipments Decline as Market Moves to "Super Drives"

In the recent past, the ubiquitous tape drive was the device of choice for both personal and network backup for anyone who couldn't fit a day's work on a floppy or (more recently) Zip or SuperDisk cartridge. Files have gotten bigger and backup requirements have escalated along with them. A new study just published by Freeman Reports indicates that the tape-backup may be going down the proverbial slippery slope as folks move toward faster, higher volume backup solutions. Freeman says that "SAN and NAS implementations of tape are resulting in the centralization of traditional tape functions." (What the hell does that mean?) The gist of the report is that the role of traditional tape backup in providing cost-effective mass storage will be replaced by such stuff as Super DLT, LTO Ultrium, and new generations of 8-millimeter products. By 2006, the report says that "super drive" technologies will comprise 84 percent of unit shipments and 96 percent of compact tape revenue. Shipments of compact tape drives have apparently decreased by 31 percent in 2000. Combined demand for QIC and DAT drives tallied 2.3 million devices in 2000, down from 3.7 million in 1999 (maybe everyone's already got one). Quantum continued to be the overall compact tape market leader, maintaining a revenue share of 38 percent, down from 40 percent the previous year. Hewlett-Packard held on to a No. 2 ranking in 2000 with an 18 percent share, down 4 percent from the previous year. Sony gained 4 percentage points to grab a 16 percent share and third place in 2000 on strong 8-millimeter drive sales. Seagate maintained their 11 percent share despite slightly declining DAT and minicartridge drive sales to hold onto fourth place. The 234-page report can be bought from Freeman Reports . Stay tuned as "Super Drives" are displaced by "Super Duper" Drives.