Hello, everyone.  I'm new to this newsgroup, but I've been lurking
for a while and I hope I have the netiquette down.  Please toast
gently if I violate a taboo in my newbie ignorance.

Earlier in June, there were several posts concerning optical tape.
I'd like to follow up on those.  First, for the folks who asked
about the status of optical tape products right now, my
understanding is this:

(1) AIIM (Assoc for Info & Image Mgmt) has had an optical tape
standards group going since 1995, in cooperation with NIST (Natl
Inst for Sci & Tech).  Members have included 3M, Apex, Callicott,
Central Imaginery Office, Eastman Kodak, EMASS, E-Systems,
ICI Imagedata, IIT Research Institute, LOTS Technology, Mobil Oil,
Philips Research Laboratories, Polaroid, PrimeLink, StorageTek,
SAIC, Sony, Technology Solutions, and Terabank Systems.

(2) Creo -- a reel-to-reel product with scalability problems,
tape edge wear problems, and pricing problems (eg $15K for a 1GB
reel of tape in 1995).  Only optical tape product to make it to
market; successful with satellite imaging applications as long
as there was no competition.  Sold to EMASS, killed when EMASS
bought by Raytheon; attempt to spin off technology to new company
failed.  ICI Imagedata discontinued media mfg for the product this
year; media inventory will be depleted by next year.  IBM's Magstar tape
library outperforms it at a much better price today.

(3) LOTS -- uses phase-change media from Kodak that is one-third
the thickness of the ICI Imagedata tape, packaged in a 3490-style
cartridge compatible with IBM Magstar and StorageTek silos.  1 TB
per cartridge, very fast data transfer; key differentiator is the
use of a holographic beam splitter to write parallel tracks.  Blue
laser diode technology recently substituted for blue-green.  Has
been in development (with more modest original specs) since 1988.

(4) Terabank Systems -- "intrapreneurial" R&D spin-off of Xerox,
working with Xerox, Polaroid, SAIC, Carnegie-Mellon University,
University of Arizona, & NASA.  Focus on low-cost, 8mm cartridge
package in desktop system with very fast access times (2 seconds).
Scheduled for commercial product launch in 2000.

(5) Philips LMS -- You've got me.  I have no idea what they're
doing, although their engineers publish a lot of papers on optical
tape in the physics journals.

(6) Sony -- was working on a mass-market product using blue-green
laser diode; dropped research and ended membership in AIIM optical
tape standards group earlier this year.  Apparently internal
decision made to concentrate on DVD, which has potential for 15 GB
per side using new blue-purple laser diode technology from Nichia.
DVD considered better product for the consumer market.

(7) StorageTek -- was working on a high-end 3490-type cartridge
optical tape package using Kodak media, compatible with its own
mag tape silos; investigated infrared laser arrays to write
parallel tracks.  Canceled project and dropped membership in AIIM
standards group this year.  Apparently feeling budget burn from
3 yrs of research that hasn't paid off (and is already obsolete);
this follows on the heels of less-than-lucrative years of support
for the Creo/EMASS product.

SCORECARD:  One commercial product that ultimately failed; two
long-term projects with lots of support funding canceled by
major storage manufacturers for very good reasons; three products
known to be in development but all years from commercial launch.
In other words, we're tied at 3 "no" votes and 3 "yes" votes on
optical tape technology.

QUESTION:  Given the rapid pace of evolution in magnetic tape,
the specs currently quoted or estimated for optical tape may
well be met or exceeded by mag tape in 2000.  The commercial
viability of optical tape is ambiguous based on history so far.
Should mag tape manufacturers worry anyway? Or gloat? Or what?

Thanks in advance,
Teresa Elms

P.S. My client is a mag tape manufacturer (they build nothing else)
looking for input on this subject from the storage community. They
really care about your opinions, so please speak up.  Thx.