Iomega launches hard-disk autoloader
Iomega on Wednesday launched an autoloading version of its REV backup kit that uses hard-disk cartridges in place of tape. The REV Autoloader 1000 is a desktop PC-sized box that contains up to ten hard disk cartridges, each able to store 35GB of uncompressed data. Iomega is positioning the REV Autoloader 1000 as low-cost alternative to tape backup for medium-sized companies who want to introduce some level of automation into their backup procedures. The company is bundling CA’s BrightStor ARCServe backup software with it to help that automation process.
At £1490 for the autoloader hardware, software and one cartridge, plus an estimate £35 to £40 per additional cartridge, the REV 1000 is, says Iomega, significantly cheaper than a tape-based solution. Iomega’s director of professional storage solutions, Wayne Arvidson, said the big advantage over tape is the random-access nature of the media, plus the ability of the drive to switch cartridges in under four seconds (or up to 25 seconds if the required cartridge is at the furthest point of the carousel).