IBM finds a way to improve data storage on magnetic tapes

IBM finds a way to improve data storage on magnetic tapes

IBM (International Business Machines) researchers have said in a release that they have found a new way to store data onto magnetic tape. This technology is expected to increase storage capacity at least 15 times.

Interestingly, hard disks today are capable and large enough to replace any needs for magnetic storage tapes. However, tapes continue to remain a common medium for storing materials that are not frequently accessed. IBM’s own revenues in this segment revenue rose 9 percent last year.

This new technology was developed by Scientists at IBM’s Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. They have invented a way to store 6.67 billion bits into a square inch of tape. This enables them to store eight terabytes on a single cartridge.

This is around 15 to 20 times denser than today’s industry-standard tape products. They are working with Fuji Photo Film to develop material for usage on these kinds of magnetic tape products. However, these would require new readers to access these new generations of tapes and the company expects to launch commercially available products in the coming years.