Fujifilm recently announced the release of the “Fujifilm LTO Ultrium9 Data Cartridge” (LTO9). A novel recording medium that meets with the ninth generation LTO Ultrium magnetic tape storage media standards, suited for backing up and storing huge amounts of data. LTO9, which uses Fujifilm’s patented technology, has a storage capacity of up to 45TB (18TB for non-compressed data), which is a 50% increase over the previous version of LTO tape. The new LTO9’s large capacity responds to the increasing data storage need amidst the rapid growth of IoT technology and the acceleration of Digital Transformation, while also contributing to CO2 emissions reduction, an essential job that must be tackled internationally.
Magnetic tapes are gaining popularity as a storage medium that allows for the secure long-term storage of large-capacity data at a cheap cost, particularly in India, where digitalization is becoming more important. Furthermore, they have a much reduced environmental effect because there is no need to keep it turned on at all times during data storage, reducing the amount of CO2 emissions created throughout its lifespan by 95 percent when compared to hard disk drives (HDDs).
Fujifilm has always been at the forefront of innovation and has made significant contributions to the world’s digital revolution. With the advent of 5G networks and high-definition 4K / 8K video, the amount of data created globally has risen dramatically in recent years, as has the growth of IoT, information and communication technologies, and the application of Artificial Intelligence for Big Data analysis. This includes “cold-data,” or data created a long time ago and infrequently accessed, which is believed to account for more than 80% of all data. The use of accumulated data, particularly cold data, for creating next-generation technologies is quickly rising, as is the necessity for dependable and cost-effective long-term storage of such data for future use. However, utilizing a huge quantity of power for using and storing big amounts of data would result in increasing CO2 emissions. In their attempts to address climate change, which is one of the key societal concerns, big data centers and private companies are aggressively embracing renewable energy to meet their electricity need, or developing a data infrastructure with low power consumption.
Speaking on the launch of the product, Mr. Koji Wada, Managing Director, Fujifilm India said, “At Fujifilm, we look towards providing a fitting solution to the problems of the ever-evolving world. With digitization taking the centre stage today, industries needed a smart and sustainable solution to their data storage needs – hence, we have announced the launch of our latest LTO Ultrium9 Data Cartridge in India. With a maximum capacity of 45 TB, the cartridge ensures safe storage of your computed data in a device that is not only affordable, but also environmentally conscious. At Fujifilm, we are vigilant and alert at recognizing the fallacies in technology and innovation, as we have for a long time, and develop solutions that will help tackle those short-comings. We are sure that this product will immensely benefit the Indian digital industry and will prove to be a game changer.”
Today, there is a larger emphasis on digitalization in India. With the increased need for digital storage, the carbon footprint has steadily increased. To counteract this, magnetic tapes are gaining popularity as a storage medium that provides long-term storage of large-capacity data safely at a low cost and has a significantly lower environmental impact because it does not need to be constantly powered on during data storage, reducing the amount of CO2 emissions generated during its lifecycle by 95 percent when compared to hard drives (HDDs).
The new LTO9 incorporates barium ferrite magnetic particles (BaFe magnetic particles), which have been finely manufactured using Fujifilm’s patented “NANOCUBIC technology” and are uniformly dispersed to coat tape surfaces, producing a smooth and thin magnetic coating with little unevenness. As a result, the maximum storage capacity is 45TB (18TB for non-compressed data), which is 1.5 times the capacity of LTO8. For added convenience, the new tape offers high-speed data transfer of up to 1,000MB/sec (400MB/sec for non-compressed data).Furthermore, there is no need to have it switched on at all times when storing data, decreasing the amount of electricity consumed in the process when compared to HDDs. Magnetic tapes can also be kept offline as a type of security to reduce the risk of data damage / loss in cyber attacks. Magnetic tape has long been a popular storage medium for huge data centers and research institutes due to its ability to safely store large amounts of data for lengthy periods of time.
The recording media market is always evolving, and we will see more advancements in the near future as each developer strives to provide the best solution to meet all of our technical demands. This will help humanity take another step further in its never-ending pursuit of technological advancement, and Fujifilm will always be in the forefront of making a positive difference.