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Maxell First With Next Generation Super DLTtapeTM II Media

Maxell Corp, a technology and marketing leader in premium recordable media products, announced the completion of qualification of Super DLTtape II media by Quantum Corp, thus recognizing Maxell as the world's first qualified manufacturer and supplier of Super DLTtape II media.

Maxell completed a joint development program with Quantum Corp. to co-develop Super DLTtape II media to support the data recording requirements of the newly introduced Quantum SDLT 600 tape drive. The Super DLTtape II media optimizes the performance of the SDLT 600 tape drive, delivering a native capacity of 300GB (600GB with compression) and a native transfer rate of 36 MB per second (72 MB per second with compression) to meet the rapidly growing data storage requirements of today's automation and enterprise customers.

"Maxell is very pleased to be part of this milestone in Super DLTtape technology. The Super DLTtape II development program with Quantum provides another example of Maxell's commitment as a global industry leader to once again meet market requirements for higher capacity and higher data transfer rate media," said Hideaki Numoto, president of Maxell. "Our relationship with Quantum ensures that Super DLTtape II media produced by Maxell will deliver optimal performance on SDLT 600 drives."

"Maxell continues to be an essential, collaborative supporter, helping further enhance DLTtape� media solutions which provide our customers with unparalleled value, performance, and capacity," said Phil Ritti, Quantum's vice president and general manager of the DLTtape Media Division. "Quantum's SDLT 600 tape drive and Super DLTtape II media are ideally suited to meet the data protection needs of the most demanding and data-intensive automation and enterprise environments."

The new Super DLTtape II media incorporates a series of advances developed to support eMP60� technology enabling the 300GB native capacity and beyond:

• A new ultra-fine ceramic armor metal particle with high coercivity and superior remanence allowing long-term magnetic stability for archival applications. The new metal particle is 40 percent smaller than the previous generation to enable high recording densities with improved magnetic energy performance and higher signal-to-noise ratio. Maxell's ceramic armor technology coats the metal particle with a thin ceramic layer to protect from corrosion and provide advanced archival storage and durability for media usage.
• A super smooth, high-rigidity new PET base film to support smooth magnetic surface for low noise level for high-density data recording. The new PET base film delivers a high rigidity and dimensional stability during drive operation for more accurate recording and improved archival storage.
  • Advanced back-coating technology for accurate laser servo signal recording. The innovative Super DLTtape technology architecture relocates servo positioning tracks to the back side of the tape, leaving the entire front side available for data recording. Maxell's back coating layer is optimized for optical laser servo tracking system.
• A high-performance binder system that combines two different binders that are mixed with cross-linked material, allowing for a strong connection of metal particle and superior durability.
• An advanced calendar technology producing an extremely smooth, ultra-thin, sub-micron magnetic layer, creating stable high output for enhanced signal writing and reading.
• A new cartridge designed for easy visual identification. Super DLTtape II media employs a newly designed blue cartridge, making it easy for users to identify between Super DLTtape I and Super DLTtape II cartridges for large-scale media management. Qualified Super DLTtape II media is also distinguished by the DLTtape logo molded into the cartridge shell.

Super DLTtape II media is an evolution of Super DLTtape technology that provides the technology base to enable the next generation of Super DLTtape technology, expected to provide a compressed capacity of 1.2 TB per cartridge.