Compact Tape Market in Sea Change; Shift From Desktop to Network Storage Stirs Sales.Business Editors OJAI, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2000 A soon to be released study by Freeman Reports A series of technical reports on data storage devices originally developed by Freeman Associates, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (www.freemaninc.com). For more than two decades, they provided exhaustive detail about the disk and tape industry, including up-to-date data on technology, capacities, shows that unit shipments of compact tape drives increased 4% in 1999 as the decline in shipments into the desktop environment was more that offset by the increase in shipments into small and medium networks. Worldwide demand for QIC (Quarter Inch Cartridge) A magnetic tape technology introduced in the early 1980s that has been widely used for backup. It was the first popular tape format for PCs. , DAT (1) (Dynamic Address Translator) A hardware circuit that converts a virtual memory address into a real address. See also DAT file. (2) (Digital Audio Tape) A magnetic tape technology used for backing up data. , 8-millimeter and DLT (Digital Linear Tape) A magnetic tape technology originally developed by Digital for its VAX line. The technology was later sold to Quantum, which makes it available to other manufacturers. DLT uses half-inch, single-hub cartridges similar to IBM's 3480/3490/3590 line. drives tallied more than 4.33 million devices in 1999, up from 4.17 million in 1998. &uot;Substantial increases in shipment levels of DAT, DLT, and SCSI interface SCSI interface - SCSI adaptor minicartridge drives contributed to the first rise in tape drive shipments since 1995 when shipments were dominated by desktop products such as low-end QIC minicartridges,&uot; declares Robert C. Abraham, author of the forthcoming edition of Freeman Report: Compact Tape Outlook. Industry revenue for all classes of compact tape drives expanded at a faster pace, jumping to $2.65 billion at OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and levels in 1999, up 10% from the $2.42 billion value in 1998. The steeper rise in revenues was driven principally by large increases in high-end DAT and DLT revenue. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Abraham, &uot;These increases accentuate the shift in product mix from desktop and low-performance drives to higher-performance network-oriented devices. Excellent growth opportunities for all categories of tape drives exist at the high-end due to the growing need posed by network storage backup. &uot;And despite the continuing squeeze on the desktop market imposed by low priced removable-disk drives such as CD-R (CD-Recordable) A writable CD technology using a type of compact disc that can be recorded, but not erased (CD-Rs are "write once" discs). CD-R discs are used to master CD-ROMs, to back up data and to make copies of data for distribution. , selected opportunities persist for low-end tape products.&uot; The Race for the Brass Ring brass ring n. Slang An opportunity to achieve wealth or success; a prize or reward: "missed the brass ring of American success" Lewis H. Lapham. Noun 1. Is On Compact tape continues to exploit the demand for high capacity disk backup and archiving solutions generated by the high volume of networked systems, workstations and small computers. As existing technologies such as DAT, Exabyte 8-millimeter, QIC, Quantum DLT, and Sony AIT, evolve toward higher capacity and performance, emerging tape technologies and formats including Benchmark DLT1, Ecrix VXA See Exabyte. , OnStream ADR ADR - Astra Digital Radio , and Ultrium are targeting these same high-growth opportunities. &uot;The potpourri of choices now available make the next two to three years crucial for tape industry participants as the winners and losers will be defined and redefined,&uot; asserts Abraham. DAT, DLT, and QIC minicartridge products have successfully defended their high-end territory so far. But new choices abound now and these incumbent technologies must move even faster to stay ahead of the new challengers. Time-to-market will be the critical factor for future market success. Report Analyzes Tape Drive and Autoloader Markets The forthcoming Compact Tape Outlook report presents an in-depth analysis of the markets and detailed forecasts of worldwide shipments and revenues for 13 classes of compact tape drives from 1998 through 2005. Summary specifications are given for all classes of tape drives and autoloaders. Eight-year pricing trends are analyzed, and expected technology shifts and future product directions are identified. The report is reinforced by 50 illustrations and 60 tables to highlight key findings. The study is updated annually and is oriented to issues and opportunities in this fast-changing market. The report will be available in March from Freeman Reports, 12010 MacDonald Dr., Ojai, Calif. 93023-9714, 805/649-5135, at a price of $2,995. Additional copies for the use of the same buyer are priced at $295 each. Freeman Reports also publishes analyses of other tape storage markets, including Performance Tape Outlook and Tape Library Outlook.
MARKET SIZE SUMMARIES (Copyrighted, please credit)
Compact Tape Drives
YEAR Unit Shipments (Millions) Revenue ($Million)
1994 4.63 $1.51
1995 5.09 $1.74
1996 4.98 $1.88
1997 4.95 $2.55
1998 4.17 $2.42
1999 4.33 $2.65
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