Features - Storage Innovations:

CERTANCE DELIVERS 5TH GEN DDS TAPE SOLUTIONS WITH DAT 72

Certance, a world leader in cost-effective data protection for companies of all sizes, has announced the immediate availability of its DAT 72 tape drives and TapeStor DAT 72 bundled solutions. Delivering on Certance's commitment to the more than six million users worldwide who rely on DDS technology to solve their data storage challenges, DAT 72 solutions offer the highest capacity and performance of any DDS technology solution on the market.

Certance's new DAT 72 drives provide users with an 80 percent increase in capacity, with compressed capacity of up to 72 gigabytes (GB) per data cartridge, and a 25 percent increase in transfer rates of up to 25.2 GB per hour over DDS-4 technology. In addition, Certance's DAT 72 tape solutions maintain backward read-and-write compatibility with previous DDS generations, helping companies leverage their existing investments.

The additions to Certance's comprehensive line of DDS technology offerings are based on the latest, 5th generation DDS technology. DAT 72 by Certance, a Seagate affiliate, introduces a new proprietary feature, Fragment Assembly, improving data integrity and interchange as part of an affordable, effortless backup for performance workstations and entry-level servers.

"As the unit volume leader in the global tape market, Certance's introduction of its new generation of DAT 72 solutions meets the continued strong demand for DDS technology, with more than one million DDS units shipped in 2002 alone," said Mike Lakowicz, Certance's vice president, product strategy and business development. "Our customers consistently choose DDS technology because of its lower price for both the drive and media, as well as higher capacity and reliability over competing technologies; DAT 72 builds on that tradition of capable, cost-effective performance."

Designed to deliver a level of reliability that sets the standard in the DDS product segment, the DAT 72 family incorporates features such as an environmental-sealed chamber for the head-to-tape interface and a sapphire media-cleaning blade to virtually eliminate airborne and media-based contaminants as well as automated head and capstan cleaning mechanisms that remove debris during normal tape operations.

"Certance DAT tape drives and TapeStor DAT 72 tape drive bundled solutions provide customers increased protection for their business-critical data," said Robert Amatruda, research manager at IDC. "In addition, DAT 72 allows server and system OEMs a critical extension for their large group of customers who use DDS tape technology today."

Certance DAT 72 tape drives are available in internal and external configurations in both drive-only and TapeStor bundled versions. All Certance DAT drives come with an industry-leading three-year warranty and the REACT rapid replacement program.

The Certance family of DAT 72 data protection products is available through the company's worldwide network of channel partners and systems integrators, as well as through Certance's online store at shop.Certance.com. Product models include DAT 72 Internal CD72LWH-S) at MSRP $1149; DAT 72 External (CD72LWE-S) at MSRP $1299; TapeStor DAT 72 Internal (CD72LWH-TSS) at MSRP $1249; and TapeStor DAT 72 External (CD72LWE-TSS) at MSRP $1499. The Certance TapeStor product family includes data cartridges and cleaning cartridges.

Compatible Operating System Platforms include:

Certance DAT 72

• Microsoft XP, 2000 Professional
• Microsoft 2000 Server/2003 Server
• Novell NetWare 5/6
• UNIX, Linux, SCO and MacOS

Certance TapeStor DAT 72

• Microsoft XP, 2000 Professional
• Microsoft 2000 Server/2003 Server
• Novell NetWare 5/6
• Linux

Compatible Backup Software Applications include:

• BakBone, Computer Associates, Dantz Development, NovaStor, Veritas, Yosemite Technologies.