LTO Ultrium Tapes

LTO Ultrium Tapes (Linear Tape-Open Technology) were developed jointly by IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Quantum to provide a clear and viable choice in an increasingly complex array of tape storage options. Their goal was to give users multiple sources for product and media. Working together, each provided expert knowledge of customer needs and complementary technology, delivering a best-of-breed product, promoting a strong foundation for data interchange. Other companies can participate in this tape industry opportunity through the open licensing process.  

Starting with LTO 1 (100GB native storage capacity/200GB compressed),  the format has continued to increase capacity and we are now using LTO 9 tapes (18TB native storage/up to 45TB compressed).  The future is bright, LTO has a roadmap streaching up to LTO 14 (576TB native storage/up to 1,440 TB compressed).