SONY

SONY ROLLS OUT FIRST SHIPMENTS OF BRANDED DLT tape VS1 MEDIA

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 11, 2004 - Sony Electronics today announced the first shipments of its Sony-branded DLT tape VS1 media. The 160GB data cartridges represent the next generation of the DLT tape format, which was developed by global storage provider Quantum.

Quantum selected Sony as the initial DLT tape VS1 supplier for its strong history and expertise in tape media manufacturing, as well as its ability to consistently meet high levels of media quality expectations.

"Throughout the course of our relationship, Sony continues to demonstrate leadership in tape storage media manufacturing with their dedication to quality and service," said Phil Ritti, vice president and general manager of Quantum's Media Business Unit. "Sony was selected to produce our new DLT tape VS1 because of its ability to generate media that consistently meets our customers' expectations."

Sony, which produced the first magnetic recording tape in Japan more than 50 years ago, partnered with Quantum during the media development phase. Emphasis was placed on minimizing surface level roughness, reducing the thickness of the magnetic layer and making the cartridge more rugged. As a result of these enhancements, DLT tape VS1 media features consistently high storage capacity, performance and durability.

"We are pleased that Quantum selected us as the first manufacturer to support this midrange format," said Masaki Hattori, director of marketing for data media in Sony Electronics' Media and Applications Solutions Division. "Sony has mastered the technologies involved in producing a wide array of tape storage media and our tools and know-how is being applied to these new data cartridges."

The half-inch Sony DLT tape VS1 media, when used in conjunction with a DLT VS160 drive, provide a compressed storage capacity of up to 160 GB (80 GB native) and a compressed transfer rate of up to 16 MB (8 MB native) per second.

Sony-branded DLT tape VS1 media is now available for a suggested price of $79.99. The media is available through Sony's extensive channel of distributors, resellers and integrators. DLT VS160 drives are currently available through Dell, IBM, Quantum and Tandberg Data.

This release is taken from Sony Electronics Limited press release website

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