In “of course, that’s still around” news, it was a record year for tape storage sales. Yes, old-school tape backup.
According to an LTO sales report using data from the companies responsible for manufacturing LTO tapes, 148 exabytes of total tape capacity was shipped in 2021. That’s far more than 2020, where 105 exabytes was shipped, or the previous record year of 2019 with 114 exabytes of capacity.
Why do we care?
It’s easy as technologists to focus on the latest and greatest. Remember, the right tool for the right job. Tape is sticking around because of ransomware. It’s not the only way to solve the problem. It’s just battle-tested.
Know your own biases, and focus on the customer’s needs. That strategy is proven and reliable… for a reason.