Nowadays, magnetic tape is the go-to storage option for data centers everywhere as a form of long-term data backup. While tapes lag behind solid-state drives and traditional spinning hard disks in terms of performance, tapes are hard to beat when it comes to their durability and relatively low cost for storing huge amounts of data. Magnetic tape storage can cost as little as one-quarter that of hard disks, and even less when compared to faster SSDs. That makes them the perfect solution for so-called cold data, information that is rarely accessed but could be considered mission-critical and must be stored safely. Tape storage isn't just cheaper, either, with research showing that it's also less polluting than hard disks and SSDs .
While Fujifilm will produce 100TB tapes, the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) roadmap allows for considerably larger capacities, all the way to 365TB per cartridge . By comparison, SSDs top out at around 256TB and cost considerably more.
Fujifilm is far from the only storage company looking to take advantage of the AI data center boom. Toshiba announced earlier this month its plans to double hard disk production capacity amid shortages, and the company, alongside Seagate and WD , is working towards ever-increasing capacities . Kioxia and SanDisk are also getting in on the act after detailing 332-layer 3D NAND flash in August . The pair hope to bring higher storage capacities to SSDs for data center use.
The demand for AI data center storage is so high that it's at the heart of a global shortage that shows little sign of improving anytime soon. Scarcity has seen prices skyrocket, while manufacturers have chosen to divert resources away from consumer-focused products, instead focusing on the more lucrative enterprise market.
Tape companies ship 160 exabytes of storage in 2025, AI data demands drive 'unprecedented data growth'
LTO roadmap extends to 365 TB per cartridge as tape storage refuses to die
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/fujifilm-plans-5x-production-boost-of-100tb-magnetic-storage-tapes-driven-by-ai-usd63-million-injection-is-the-largest-investment-in-tape-for-20-years#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
- Man granted first-of-its-kind religious exemption against mandatory AI use at work
- AI component hikes force the world's largest PC makers to return manufacturing capacity to China
- Military drone outfit Anduril partners with Qualcomm to build laptops on US soil with new BlueChip venture
- Anthropic’s IPO filing shows most of its compute goes to R&D, not serving customers
- Hacker awarded $50k bounty for reporting bug to Sony that allowed PS5 Linux exploit
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.