Tape Media

Tape Drives

Ethernet LTO Tape Drives

Tandberg Data RDX QuikStor

Tandberg Data RDX QuikStation

HP RDX Removable Disk

Quantum SuperLoader 3

Quantum Scalar i3 LTO

Qualstar LTO Tape Libraries

Qualstar Q8 Tape Autoloader

Qualstar Q24 Tape Autoloader

Qualstar Q48 Tape Autoloader

Qualstar Q40 Tape Library

Qualstar Q80 Tape Library

Qualstar Tape Libraries

SymplyPro XTL Tape Libraries

Overland NEO Tape Libraries

Overland NEOs StorageLoader

Overland NEOs T24 Loader

Overland NEOs T48 Library

Overland NEOxl 40 Series

Overland NEOxl 80 Series

Tape Drive Autoloaders

HP StoreEver Tape Libraries

HP StoreEver MSL3040

Archiware P5 Software

XenData LTO Archive

Facilis Technology

SnapServer XSR NAS Series

Nexsan Storage

ATTO SAS / Thunderbolt

Cables & Terminators

Barcode Labels

Turtle Storage Cases

Quantum Scalar i3 Warranty

Removable Disk Storage

Imation RDX

Imation RDX Bundles

Tandberg RDXLock WORM

Quantum RDX

HP RDX+ Bundles

IBM RDX

Dell RD1000

Reconditioned Tape Drives


Custom Sequence Barcode Labels for all your Tape Media - DLT, SDLT AIT and LTO FREE LTO BARCODE LABELS

LTO-9 Tape Drives LTO-9 Tape Libraries Now Available

SymplyPro LTO Archiving Solutions LTO-8 and LTO-9

Browse by Manufacturer
Mailing Lists


AIT is Dead
The funeral by Sony is scheduled for March 31, 2010.

Sony Electronics, Inc. will discontinue offering AIT drives and library/automation systems on March 31, 2010. Now the Japanese company manufactures only DAT320 tape drives but continues to offer tape media.

AIT was one of the best tape technology, but with a dreadful marketing. Introduced in 1996, the 3.5-inch drive was based on a 8mm dual reel cartridge and helical scan magnetic head with the idea to compete with Exabyte Mammoth (also using 8mm helical scan) and Quantum DLT (half-inch media and longitudinal recording).

At the end, there was nine generations of drives between AIT-1 (25/3 - all figures here are native, without compression) and the latest AIT-5 (400/24 with MR head), supposed to compete with LTO, if we add several Turbo and extended versions. AIT-6 (800/96) will not appear.

It was not easy for users to follow each step of the roadmap. Furthermore, Sony did a big mistake with AIT-4 - as well as AIT-5 - that was not compatible with AIT-3 as promised, but only with the AIT-3Ex. And finally, OEMs - except Compaq - were reluctant to adopt AIT as there was no second source for the drives. Sony tries to enter in many other storage devices (HDDs, disk-to-tape units, autoloaders, libraries) but always failed, apart from floppy disk and optical disc drives. Around half million AIT drives has been sold in the world.

In 2001, Sony unveils at CeBIT the concept of a formidable tape drive, the helical scan SAIT-1 with an incredible capacity into an half-inch, single-reel cartridge at this time, 500GB, and an excellent 30MB/s transfer rate, and supposed to be followed by SAIT-2 (800/45) for its Petasite libraries, and then by 2TB in 2006 and 4TB in 2008. It was postponed to 2003 and never really reach the market.

AIT milestones
  • 1996: First introduction of 8mm AIT (25/3, then 35/4 for extended version AIT-1 Turbo)
  • 1998: 25,000 AIT-1 shipped
  • 1999: AIT-2 (35/6, then 50/6)
  • 2000: 100,000 AIT-1 or -2 sold
  • 2001: AIT-3 (100/12 then 150/18)
  • 2002: SAIT-1 (500/30 then 800/45)
  • 2004: AIT-4 (200/24)
  • 2006: AIT-5 (400/24)
  • 2009: Sony decides to stop AIT

AIT Tape Media is still available at BackupWorks.com as well as plenty of refurbished/reconditioned AIT Tape Drives.  In addition we are still selling brand new AIT Autoloaders and Tape Libraries by Qualstar Corporation.

Search
Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty.

Tandberg Data RDX Quikstor Removable Disk Cartridges

RDX 10 Pack Promotion - celebrating 10 Years of RDX Technology

Quantum Scalar i3 LTO-9 Now Available and Shipping

Free Shipping UPS Ground - $500 min. order


Repair Services - 6 Month Warranty Fast Turnaround

Outlet Center - Refurbished Tape Drives - 6 Month Warranty