Fujifilm launches ultra-fast, 45TB LTO Ultrium 9 data cartridge

Fujifilm has launched the ultra-fast 45TB LTO Ultrium 9 data cartridge (LTO-9). The new cartridge complies with the ninth generation LTO Ultrium standards for magnetic tape storage media, suitable for backing up and archiving large-capacity data. It uses Fujifilm’s proprietary technology to offer up to 45TB in storage capacity (18TB for non-compressed data) which is 1.5 times larger than LTO-8.

The high capacity achieved in the LTO-9 caters to the surging data storage demand amid the rapid development of IoT technology and acceleration of digital transformation, and contributes to mitigating CO2 emissions.

The amount of data generated worldwide has exponentially increased in recent years with the introduction of 5G networks and high-definition 4K/8K video, development of IoT, information and communication technology, and the use of artificial intelligence for Big Data analysis. This includes ‘cold-data’, or data that was generated a long time ago and is rarely accessed, which is estimated to account for more than 80% of all data.

The utilisation of accumulated data, including cold data, is rapidly increasing for developing next-generation technologies, and so is the need for reliable and cost-effective long-term storage of such data for future use.

The LTO-9 features barium ferrite magnetic particles (BaFe magnetic particles), formulated into fine particles with Fujifilm’s proprietary Nonocubic technology, evenly distributed to coat tape surfaces, forming a smooth and thin magnetic layer with minimum unevenness. This has resulted in the maximum storage capacity of 45TB (18TB for non-compressed data), some 1.5 times the capacity of LTO-8.

The new tape also delivers high-speed data transfer reaching 1,000MB/second (400MB/second for non-compressed data) for advanced convenience. Furthermore, there is no need to have it constantly powered on during data storage, thereby reducing the amount of electricity consumption in the process compared to HDDs.

Magnetic tapes can also be stored offline, creating ‘air gap’ as a form of protection to minimise the risk of data damage/loss in cyberattacks.