Iomega Announces "the Next Revolution in Storage"

International Journal of Micrographics & Optical Technology, 2003

Iomega Corporation has announced that the first product based on its RRD technology, the new Iomega REV 35GB/90GB (native/compressed)* system, is on schedule for an expected product launch in March of 2004.

Iomega displayed working prototypes of the new REV drives in a variety of applications during Comdex Las Vegas in November 2003.

With claimed price and performance advantages over traditional tape backup systems, the soon-to-be released Iomega REV system is designed for state-of-the-art backup and high capacity portable storage for small and medium-sized businesses and enterprise workgroups. The drive also marks what the company describes as "the next great advance in desktop portable storage, giving businesses that use large files - and everyday computer enthusiasts - the performance of an external hard drive and the infinite storage expandability of Iomega's highest-capacity removable storage system."

"The Iomega REV drive is revolutionary, combining the high speed, reliability and ease of use of hard drive technology with the advantages of removability and low cost of tape," said Werner Heid, president and CEO, Iomega Corporation. "When our customers see how the price and performance advantages of the Iomega REV system transform their existing network and desktop backup systems, they won't go back to using high-maintenance tape drives, fragile tape backup media, or other removable storage options."

Iomega believes that the REV disk will be the smallest portable storage disk in the marketplace to hold 35GB of data.

Revolutionary Hard Drive-Based Tape Alternative

The Iomega REV drive takes hard drive technology to a new level, using patent-pending Iomega intellectual property to deliver true hard drive performance in a removable disk. Iomega REV disks will have a 35GB native capacity, and will hold 90GB compressed using the bundled Iomega Automatic Backup Pro software.

Compared to traditional tape systems, Iomega REV drives and disks are said to be faster, more durable, easier to maintain and provide random access. Furthermore, with an anticipated price below $400, the high-performance Iomega REV drive will cost significantly less than most tape alternatives, including DDS, DAT-72, VXA(R), AIT-1, DLT(R) and DLT VS80.

The Iomega REV system will appear to a computer's operating system as a regular drive letter, making it seamlessly compatible with most popular backup and disaster recovery software.

Superior Performance

Iomega REV disks, expected to cost approximately $49 each, are "smaller than a deck of playing cards, more durable than tape", and have an expected native maximum transfer rate of 22 MB/sec. Based on average data rates, a 20GB file that takes more than an hour to backup using DDS tape will take about 20 minutes with REV technology. And, because the REV drive is a random-access storage device, it will allow users to copy or restore individual files in seconds, many times faster than is possible with tape.

The system is designed for superior reliability compared to tape. To provide maximum durability, the unique REV design keeps the sensitive read/write heads and electronics sealed in the REV drive where shock and vibration are not an issue - the removable data cartridge holds only the rotating disk and spindle motor. REV disks are rated for over one million rewrites versus thousands for tape. Reliability is further enhanced by the patent-pending air filtration system, creating a virtual "clean room" environment inside the removable disk.

With an ultra-quiet fluid dynamic bearing motor, advanced two-stage error correction circuitry, and automatic internal head cleaning, the Iomega REV disk is expected to provide comparable reliability to today's sealed hard drives in a more convenient and versatile removable form factor.

Unlimited Storage Capacity

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the REV drive will be its virtually unlimited storage expandability. Iomega REV drives and their cost-effective disks could be ideal for data-intensive settings that must maintain large archives, such as legal and financial services, medical imaging and medical records archiving, professional digital video production, video surveillance systems, and high-performance workstation applications such as graphic arts, software or gaming development.

Backup and Recovery

The Iomega REV drive will also provide desktop users with a good backup solution. The drives will include a unique "Boot and Run" feature to provide home and business users with prompt disaster recovery. If their primary hard drive fails, users can simply "Boot and Run" directly from their REV drive - in effect giving them a spare hard disk for their computer, with all the files, applications and functionality of their primary internal hard drive, until the failed hard drive can be replaced.

A further layer of data protection will be provided by Iomega's Automatic Backup Pro software, the next-generation version of Iomega Automatic Backup software, a recent PC Magazine Editor's Choice winner for real-time backup. Iomega Automatic Backup Pro software provides continuous real-time backup to any drive letter; the user never has to remember to push a button or run a software application.