Spectra Logic Announces Half-Inch Spectra T950 Library; Efficient, Revolutionary Media Management System Delivers Up to 200 Percent Higher Storage Density Than Competing Half-Inch Libraries.

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BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003

Data center operators are challenged with managing ever-increasing volumes of data with flat or declining personnel resources. More than ever IT staffs are tasked with lowering total cost of ownership (TCO). Spectra Logic has found a way to deliver immediate TCO in a tape library that substantially lowers maintenance, floor space, storage management, labor and acquisition costs.

The Spectra T950 library, with the Python architecture, raises the bar in technology features and end-user value in the half-inch tape market. Spectra Logic's revolutionary TeraPack(TM) delivers time savings in media handling, the industry's highest storage density, reduced robotic wear, lowering labor costs and increased library uptime, thus lowering TCO. The Spectra T950 library will start shipping to customers at the end of September.

Spectra Logic's efficient and revolutionary media management system is based on the TeraPack, which improves media management inside and outside the library, and offsite. TeraPacks provide bulk loading and unloading of media, which saves time. Moving groups of media at once decreases the amount of movements and therefore reduces robotic wear.

"Too often, enterprise library users consume hours loading and unloading scores of media to meet off-site data security requirements. With the Spectra T950 library, customers will only invest about 12 minutes to exchange 100 tapes, which is up to 10 times faster than traditional libraries," said Nathan Thompson, Spectra Logic's chief executive officer. "TeraPacks, while simple in concept, revolutionize media handling and break technology barriers associated with traditional library models."

TeraPacks store media in a shelf-like fashion, which delivers the highest storage density in the market. With the Spectra T950 library, users can start with two drives and scale to 120, and begin with 100 cartridges and grow to 6,000. Starting with a single library frame, users can cascade up to four more frames to increase storage capacities to more than 7 Petabytes with S-AIT technology. Multiple-frame libraries utilize just one robot -- while fitting rack-oriented data center floor plans.

Spectra Logic was first with AIT automation, native Fibre Channel and iSCSI tape libraries, and is currently the market share leader in 8mm tape automation. The company has pioneered library features like library partitioning, native connectivity and capacity on demand. The Spectra T950 library leverages these and other proven data center library features and introduces them to the half-inch market. This enterprise library enhances customer flexibility to manage data growth and adapt to their ever-changing connectivity environments.

"Spectra Logic's sixth generation of tape automation features Endura RAS (reliability, availability and serviceability), the foundation of the Spectra T950 library," said Nick Harper, Spectra Logic's vice president of business development. "With Endura RAS, the Spectra T950 library, reliability is insured by design; incorporating key redundancy features for continuous data availability and self monitoring with remote reporting capabilities enhancing serviceability."

Pricing and Compatibility

The Spectra T950 library today supports the following drive types: LTO-2, SAIT-1, SDLT, and AIT-4. With LTO-2, a single Spectra T950 library can store up to 380 TB compressed (190 TB native) of data in one rack-sized frame, occupying only 9.7 square feet of datacenter floor space. The library is compatible with independent software vendors including BakBone, Computer Associates, CommVault, Legato, SyncSort, Tivoli and VERITAS.

Pricing for a 150 media, Fibre Channel Spectra T950 library with 2 LTO-2 drives begins at $90,000.

About Spectra Logic Corporation

Founded in 1979, Spectra Logic Corporation is a leading manufacturer of tape libraries that provide mission-critical data protection and backup for companies worldwide. Spectra Logic makes it easy for organizations to protect, store and manage rapidly growing data by offering libraries with capacities ranging from 60 gigabytes to Petabytes. In addition to providing data insurance and innovative storage automation, Spectra Logic offers advanced interface technologies to address emerging storage network systems such as Storage Area Networks (SANs), Network Attached Storage (NAS) architectures and IP Storage. Today, the company has more than 12,000 tape libraries installed worldwide. Spectra Logic's storage offerings are available through a global network of resellers and OEMs. For more information, contact Spectra Logic by phone at [phone], or visit the company's Web site at http://www.SpectraLogic.com.

The Spectra Logic logo is a trademark of Spectra Logic Corporation. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

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