HP South Africa has launched a new generation of magneto optical jukebox storage solutions to meet the ever-increasing demands for the secure archiving storage of e-mails, voice recordings, electronic document images, Web transactions and other critical corporate data.
The new HP SureStore Magneto-Optical jukebox 14X family for Windows and Unix environments has storage capacities ranging from 218Gb in a desktop unit to nearly 2.2 terabytes (Tb) in a high-end model.
"It is fully scalable so that it can meet customers` immediate and most demanding future archival needs," says Riaan de Leeuw, HP storage market development manager.
"It offers 75 per cent more storage capacity and some 30 per cent better transfer performance than the previous generation of HP jukebox products - the 5.2Gb 8X range - yet costs only 15% more."
The new systems are ideal for sectors such as accounting, banking, legal, customer service, healthcare and government, where there is a need for high volume electronic archiving.
"The e-mail explosion has created a major storage headache for such markets. These electronic documents have to be managed, stored and easily accessed just like any other correspondence," he says.
In addition to HP`s own OmniLink e-mail and electronic document management systems, the company has alliances with e-mail management software solution suppliers such as Veritas, OTG and CA in South Africa.
Reducing primary storage costs
The new HP SureStore, which will be marketed by HP-authorised specialist storage Value Added Resellers, is also suitable for near off-line hierarchical storage management solutions where little-used files on primary storage can be automatically offloaded to a MO jukebox.
"Optical media is much cheaper per gigabyte than primary storage, so customers would not only be containing escalating primary storage costs, but would also be relieving storage management headaches and back-up times on the primary systems," says de Leeuw.
Upgrade and downwards compatibility
The previous 2.6 Gb 4X and 5.2Gb 8X ranges can be upgraded to the new 9.1 Gb-based 14X family. Alternatively, the new systems can read and write to 8X and 4X models. They are also backwards compatible, read only, down to the first generation HP SureStore 650 Mb 1X range.
"This latest release shows HP`s commitment to its jukebox customers and why we are leaders in this field with more than a 50% market share. It`s critical not only to provide the product reliability and durability essential in an archival environment, but also archived electronic data remains accessible for the long term.
"A typical optical cartridge can store over six tons of paper data and provide 100 years storage life, which is why standards-based solutions are key. They also provide a viable high-speed alternative to paper- or microfiche-based storage as well as infrequently accessed on-line electronic data," he says.
HP has committed to supporting the 14X through the decade, giving its 5.25-inch-based optical technology, initially launched in 1991, an effective 20-year life span. It sees the 14X co-existing with Ultra Density Optical (UDO) technology, which HP expects to bring to market in 2003 with potential initial high-end capacities of up to 10Tb in a singe cabinet.
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