X

Tape back-up standard improved

A consortium of companies supporting a tape back-up standard called Linear Tape Open (LTO) Ultrium has introduced the second generation of its technology. The consortium, made up of IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Seagate, said it will begin licensing the new version of the technology in the first quarter to companies that make tape and tape drives. The new version, the second of four planned generations, supports 200GB capacity with higher transfer rates than before, the companies said. LTO Ultrium, used for midrange back-up demands, competes with standards such as Quantum's DLT, which is currently at the heart of a legal dispute.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
See full bio
Stephen Shankland
A consortium of companies supporting a tape back-up standard called Linear Tape Open (LTO) Ultrium has introduced the second generation of its technology. The consortium, made up of IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Seagate, said it will begin licensing the new version of the technology in the first quarter to companies that make tape and tape drives.

The new version, the second of four planned generations, supports 200GB capacity with higher transfer rates than before, the companies said. LTO Ultrium, used for midrange back-up demands, competes with standards such as Quantum's DLT, which is currently at the heart of a legal dispute.