Fuji is developing new magnetic tape technology capable of storing 580 terabytes of data.
To put that into perspective, that’s about 120,000 DVDs worth of storage space.
And the company is doing it using a novel material composition that has all of the advantages of the current leading magnetic tape format with some new ones thrown into the mix.
The tape’s amazing storage capacity is due to its novel Strontium Ferrite (SrFe) composition. Unlike the more commonly used Barium Ferrite (BaFe), SrFe has “higher magnetic characteristics and 60% less particle volume than BaFe,” PetaPixel points out.
Fuji says of the tape’s composition: “SrFe is a magnetic material that has very high magnetic properties and is stable to maintain high performance even when processed into fine particles…Magnetic tapes used in this test have been produced at the company’s existing coating facility, confirming the ability to support mass production and commercialization.”
In fact, Fuji and its partner IBM see a future for this technology in both archival usage scenarios as well as “facilitates seamless interfacing with cloud technology and allows native cloud applications to be able to write to and read from tape without the need for specialized or proprietary skillsets or software.”
IBM continues, adding, “It is precisely this intersection of cloud technology and tape technology that will enable organizations to implement an unmatched scalable, affordable and secure data strategy.”
Given the rising need for reliable, safe storage options, it looks like Fuji and IBM have a winner on their hands. But, beyond that, it is the companies’ combined effort to make sure these new magnetic tapes stand the test of time – particularly critical for archival use.
Do you think physical media will continue to play a large role in the storage of digital media for everyday consumers or do you think it will largely be relegated to archival and commercial purposes? Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section.
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