Quantum expands LTO development collaboration with HP

Quantum Corp., a leading global specialist in backup, recovery and archive, has announced that it will partner more closely with HP in the development of future LTO tape drives, beginning with LTO-5. The companies currently work together in developing certain LTO technology, and the expanded relationship will capitalize on their respective strengths, benefiting customers through increased efficiencies and time-to-market. In addition, by optimizing their tape drive and infrastructure investments, it will enable Quantum and HP to focus more of their combined resources on further LTO innovation while ensuring a continued choice of suppliers.

"Given our unique expertise as a developer of both LTO and DLT drives and our rich IP portfolio, Quantum will focus on advanced technology work while drawing on the scale and scope of HP's product development assets," said Rick Belluzzo, chairman and CEO of Quantum. "This will enable Quantum to improve our tape drive operating model and use some of the resulting savings to innovate further in the area of disk-based backup, data de-duplication and replication."

"HP is excited to extend its alliance with Quantum on tape technology development to deliver innovative LTO products," said Bob Wilson, vice president, Nearline, StorageWorks Division, HP. "Customers will continue to need the unique value characteristics of tape -- proven, trusted and affordable -- in order to back up and store critical data."

Looking forward, Quantum also said it expects today's announcement will help the company build on its position as the worldwide leader in tape automation. One of Quantum's key priorities will be to continue integrating its LTO tape drives across its automation product line -- most notably the Scalar library platform -- to provide customers with even greater value and innovative features for addressing their backup, recovery and archive needs.

Quantum Corp