Folio Photonics says new material science discoveries will lead to ultra-high-capacity, low-cost optical disc cartridges.
The data storage company claims to have invented the first “economically viable, enterprise-scale optical storage discs with dynamic multi-layer write/read capability”
Modern archival discs have only three optical layers per side, while Folio Photonics’ discovery allows for up to 16 layers, increasing capacity.
More storage.
Folio Photonics will now focus on product development, with the first discs due in 2024.
The company’s ten-disc cartridges will initially have a capacity of 10TB (1TB each disc), but adding more layers should allow it to scale to “multi-TB capacities”
“Our outstanding technical team pioneered a revolutionary method to optical storage that overcomes historical constraints,” stated Folio Photonics CEO Steven Santamaria. Folio Photonics’ advantages will redefine archival storage.
John Monroe, a former Gartner analyst, said the company is “on a path to engendering substantially bigger data densities than was imagined viable some years ago.”
Hence, large firms will spend more on archive storage as internet activity, smart gadgets, IoT sensors, and business activities produce more data.
Cheaper Cost
LTO tape has the lowest cost per capacity of any technology. Data can only be accessed serially, making it difficult to find specific files, and firms must migrate to fresh tape semi-regularly to avoid data loss.
Ultra-cheap new archival storage could have a major impact. Folio Photonics’ innovative disc cartridges are faster than tape, resistant to radiation, salt water, humidity, and temperature variations, and last 100 years. Therefore, they’ll support WORM use scenarios. Folio costs $5 per TB versus $8.30 for LTO-9.
Archival data is ‘write once’ and immutable. AI, ML, and Big Data analytics are increasing archive storage system activity and accessibility, said Fred Moore, president of Horison Information Strategies.
As immutability and performance requirements change secondary storage, demand for immutable active archives will rise.