Choosing A Mass Storage Solution
A myriad of devices are available in the mass storage industry: hard drives, optical disks, ultra high capacity tapes, CD Recordable devices, digital video disks (DVD), and advanced jukebox technologies. The availability of so many options can make choosing the right storage device difficult.
The pace of the mass storage revolution has quickened, and understanding mass storage industry trends will be a key in the effective use of emerging media. Magneto-optic (MO), DVD, and CD all have strengths and benefits. However, consumers need to be aware of the market war between various vendors. Because of the uncertain future of some DVD-Rewritable formats, choosing a solution cannot be based on performance alone. An absence of standards for the DVD format could make a significant purchase obsolete several years down the road.
Magneto-Optic — Proven Storage Technology
Today, MO devices are the workhorses of the optical storage industry. The MO devices pre-date other available media. They have had such a long-standing track record because of their durability and reliability. According to Tim Lawlor, product manager at KOM, Inc., "MO currently has the lion's share of the storage market. MO devices are popular with insurance companies, banks, government, and other vertical markets." MO's popularity in these markets is due to its speed and the media life, which is from 30 to 40 years. So, MO drives are entrenched in the mass storage market, but the market share is not growing. The reason? A competing media is slowly encroaching on MO's territory.
Lack Of DVD Standards Slows Market Acceptance
No one is surprised that DVD is making inroads to the MO market. At one time, DVD was touted as the storage solution that would "crush" optical. However, this promise has fallen short because vendors who manufacture the various forms of DVD-Rewritable have been unable to agree on an industry standard. "DVD is becoming increasingly popular," cites Riccardo Finotti, president of QStar, a developer and vendor of storage management software headquartered Fort Walten Beach, FL. "However, the lack of a standard is holding back the market."
Currently, DVD-Rewritable is available in several forms. The first is DVD-RAM, available from Hitachi, Toshiba, and Panasonic. This media is 2.6 GB single-sided, and 5.2 GB double-sided. Also available are Hitachi and Panasonic's 4.7 GB single-sided, and 9.4 GB double-sided media and drives, which were announced at Comdex. DVD+RW is developed by Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and Philips. It will be available in 2001. DVD+RW has a capacity of 4.7 GB per side. DVD+RW was also demonstrated at Comdex.
CD Technology Holds Its Ground
The inability of DVD vendors to settle on a single format has prolonged the life of CD. As a result, CD-RW is growing its market share. CD-RW drives are now shipping in PCs and are becoming increasingly popular as peripherals. Additionally, CD-R is growing as an archiving medium, since this function does not entail altering the stored data. The CD-R format is cheaper than CD-RW, and it is ideal for the distribution of software and music. For these purposes, the 650 MB capacity is more than sufficient. Other applications, such as video editing, however, do not work with the 650 MB storage ceiling of CDs. More and more companies want more capacity for their mass storage dollars. Similar to trends between MO and DVD, competition between the CD and DVD media has largely been influenced by the absence of a DVD industry standard. Although the DVD format provides superior capacity, many companies do not want to invest in it because of its uncertain future.
Deciding On A Storage Solution
In conclusion, heed mass storage industry trends. Just as the marketing war among DVD-Rewritable vendors could significantly affect the future of mass storage media, so too could your purchase significantly impact the future of your business. Select your optical solutions with the future in mind.
Doug Campbell