Spectra Logic Announces the Low-Cost Spectra 2K With AIT-4; Offering Customers a Proven, Reliable Library with Latest Speeds

Business Wire, July 27, 2004

BOULDER, Colo. -- Spectra Logic is now taking orders for Sony's fourth-generation AIT drives in several products, including the Spectra(R) 2K library. The Spectra 2K's proven design has been continually enhanced with Sony AIT drive technology, consistently offering up-to-date speeds at an entry cost point. Small to medium-sized customers can now purchase a field-proven library with a seven-year track record, enhanced with double the capacity and throughput of the preceding generation.

"At nearly 16TB capacity with AIT-4, the Spectra 2K library stores enough data for many organizations," said Peter Gerr, analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group. "The Spectra 2K library is a trusted product that's always offered Sony's latest technology, meaning customers get reliability and faster performance without requiring unnecessary options that increase costs."

New customers receive a solid library design, backed by Sony's leading-edge speed and roadmap, at a low-end cost. Existing customers can quickly add 100 to 470 percent more capacity when they upgrade to AIT-4 drives without having to spend thousands to purchase an entire library(1). Both will benefit from flexibility, since the Spectra 2K library supports Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet and iSCSI protocols, allowing easy connection to existing infrastructures.

"In response to customer demand, Spectra Logic is committed to offering the latest technology in all of its products, while building on what's worked well for users for years," said Nathan Thompson, chief executive officer of Spectra Logic Corporation. "Spectra Logic is enhancing its existing line and designing newer libraries to create a comprehensive set of products to fit every customer's storage needs and budgets."

AIT-4 offers 200 GB storage capacity (520 GB compressed) with a native transfer rate of 24 MB/second in a 3.5-inch form factor. This capacity and speed is double that of the AIT-3 generation, per Sony's roadmap. AIT-4 drives are backward read/write compatible with AIT-3 media, and read compatible with AIT-2 and AIT-1 media.

Availability

Spectra Logic is currently taking AIT-4 orders. Pricing for the Spectra 2K automated tape library with AIT-4 starts at less than $8,000. While the library costs less than autoloaders, it offers storage automation at 225GB/hour(2) throughput and with 7.8TB(2) of capacity. This price includes an integrated barcode reader, a single AIT-4 tape drive, 15 licensed library slots and 3 AIT-4 media cartridges with the library. AIT-4 will be available in the Spectra 64K, 20K, 10K and 2K tape libraries and NAStape and DAStape stand-alone tape drives. Trade-in and upgrade programs and bundle offerings will be made available to existing AIT customers this fall.

(1) 100 percent capacity increase from AIT-3, at 260GB (compressed). 470 percent capacity increase from AIT-1, at 91 GB (compressed).

(2) Compression rates are shown as 2.6:1

About Spectra Logic Corporation

Spectra Logic Corporation, now in its 25th year, is a leading designer and manufacturer of data storage products that protect mission-critical data for companies worldwide. Spectra Logic's innovative products make it easy for organizations to store and manage rapidly growing data by offering libraries with capacities ranging from 60 gigabytes to hundreds of terabytes, all the way up to multiple petabytes of storage. Spectra Logic was the first vendor to automate Sony AIT and introduce integrated Fibre Channel and iSCSI tape libraries. Further, Spectra Logic invented the TeraPack(R) media management system that helps customers track media in and outside the data center using bar-coded magazines. The company offers a complete suite of support options, including worldwide on-site support, and innovative options including AutoSupport, which proactively sends notification of library status, and Assisted Self Maintenance. Today, the company has more than 17,000 tape libraries installed worldwide with customers that include ALLTEL, NASA and Sprint. Spectra Logic's data protection products are available through a global network of resellers and OEMs. For more information, contact Spectra Logic by phone at 800-833-1132, or visit the company's Web site at http://www.SpectraLogic.com.

Spectra, TeraPack and the Spectra Logic logo are registered trademarks of Spectra Logic Corporation. All rights reserved worldwide. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.