Sony Drives the Future of Tape Technology With Next-Generation Advanced Intelligent Tape; Sony Doubles Speed and Capacity of AIT Format Right On Time.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 1998--To celebrate the two-year anniversary of its Advanced Intelligent Tape(TM) (AIT), Sony Electronics today announced the development of its second-generation AIT format, named AIT-2.

This new tape system will offer 50GB of native capacity per tape (100GB with compression) and a 6MB/sec sustained native transfer rate (12MB/sec with compression).

Fully read and write backward-compatible with AIT-1, the AIT-2 internal drive provides a new standard for mid-range tape storage solutions. It achieves outstanding capacity, performance, and reliability in a compact 3.5-inch form factor for a suggested list price of $4,995.

"Sony is committed to advancing this innovative tape technology into the next millennium," said John Woelbern, senior marketing manager of tape streamer products for Sony Electronics' Computer Components and Peripherals Group. "We are committed to maximizing capacity and speed every two years while keeping the price competitive, and we are delivering that promise -- right on schedule."

"The introduction of AIT-2 proves Sony's commitment to the mid-range tape arena," said Bob Amatruda, senior analyst for International Data Corporation's tape and removable storage. "The increased capacity and performance of AIT-2 will give it a leveragable advantage over the competition."

Technological Advances

According to Woelbern, Sony achieved new capacity and performance features by implementing key technological advances in recording heads, channel coding, media formulation and mechanism design, as well as developing its own LSI chips. The AIT-2 drives incorporate Sony patented Hyper Metal(TM) laminate heads, which provide higher signal output than conventional heads, thereby allowing the AIT recording density to increase by 50 percent.

This higher recording frequency, together with the longer tape and high drum speeds, provide a doubling of both capacity and data transfer rates. In addition, the Trellis Coded Partial Response (TCPR), developed by Sony, is the optimal coding for a helical scan high-density recording format. TCPR strengthens the tape's characteristics against noise and ensures data reliability.

The most unique feature of the AIT format is Sony's innovative Memory-In-Cassette drive interface system, which consists of a 64Kbit memory chip built into the AIT-2 data cartridge.

The MIC-2 chip incorporates a remote-sensing, non-contact head, which extends the head life. The data contained on chip includes the tape's system log, search map and other user-definable information, allowing data to be accessed immediately -- no matter what section of the tape is being accessed.

The ability of the MIC to support multiple partitions and multiple load points drastically reduces the average time to data to fewer than 20 seconds, compared to an average of over 100 seconds for conventional, competing technologies.

"A key factor in the capabilities of AIT technology is the use of the extremely durable and field-proven Advanced Metal Evaporated (AME) tape technology," said Takeyasu Hirano, vice president for data media marketing for Sony Electronics' Recording Media and Energy Group.

"AIT-2 will use Sony's latest formulation of AME media providing the patented Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating with a higher output metalization layer. This enables AIT technology to provide extremely long head life and thousands of media uses, while at the same time, providing high density recording in a compact form factor."

Reliability

While AIT-1 achieves outstanding reliability specifications -- including 50,000 hours of head life, an industry-leading Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of 300,000 hours and an average of 30,000 media uses. AIT-2 will incorporate these impressive specifications and is ideally suited for high duty-cycle use, including tape arrays and library robotics applications.

Road Map

At the initial AIT introduction, Sony committed to expanding the AIT format every two years and expects to continue that trend into the future, according to Woelbern. The next member of the AIT family, AIT-3 will offer the same advantages of the AIT-1 and AIT-2, and is expected to provide 100GB of native capacity (200GB with compression) and a 12MB/sec native sustained transfer rate (24MB/sec with compression).

"The introduction of AIT-2 demonstrates Sony's commitment to AIT as well as the scalability of this innovative technology which increases the breadth of the product. AIT-1 will continue to offer customers a cost-effective solution for systems that cannot take advantage of the AIT-2 capacity and performance advantages," Woelbern noted.

Pricing and Availability

The SDX-500C internal AIT-2 drive, incorporating an Ultra SCSI interface including low voltage differential SCSI (LVDS), will begin shipments at the end of 1998 at a suggested list price of $4,995 -- the same price that AIT-1 was announced in 1996. All AIT drives will come with a three-year limited warranty.

Media for the SDX-500C AIT-2 drive will be available starting in early 1999. The SDX-T5C 230-meter tape cartridge with MIC-2 will have a suggested list price of $125.

Based in San Jose, Calif., the Tape Streamer Products Division of Sony Electronics' Computer Components and Peripherals Group markets tape drives and autoloaders through OEM, industrial distribution and reseller channels.

For additional information about Sony computer products call [phone] or visit Sony's World Wide Web site at http://www.sony.com/storagebysony.

CONTACT: Sony Electronics

Brian Levine, 408/955-5121

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Technology Solutions, Inc.

Liz Weber, 408/280-6000, ext. 217

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