Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 43

Why Customers
Want DLTtape Systems
When Quantum bought DLT technology in 1994, sales of DLT
products were running a modest 20,000 units per year. In just six
years, DLTtape drive sales climbed to over 500,000 units a year.
Why are so many people buying DLTtape systems? Some of the
reasons have to do with big industry trends. Others have more to
do with the basics of DLTtape technology itself. In this chapter,
we're going to look at the forces that are driving customer
demand for DLTtape system backup solutions.
The Server Boom
One of the industry trends driving the demand for DLTtape sys-
tems is the growth in the population of midrange servers. Not
many years ago, 8mm and 4mm DAT (digital audio tape) dominat-
ed the backup world. There was no reason to think that wouldn't
continue. Many people probably assumed they would keep using
DAT for backup until optical disk technology eventually took over.
And, in the desktop computer world, that scenario is holding up
pretty well. People are still buying 4mm DAT drives by the tens and
hundreds of thousands, and optical – in one form or another – is
coming up over the horizon.
The midrange field, however, offers a whole different scenario.
Instead of the "death of the minicomputer industry," we have seen
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