2. The customer’s view of Optical Storage R J Longman 12 th Dec 2004

3. The customer view of Optical Storage Consumers CD/DVD based on replicated standards – multiple sources - cost, name brands Professional Users How long will it last? How much does it cost? How do I maintain it? Hardware life cycle management I don’t care what the storage technology is ????

4. Where does Optical fit ? Data Type Required Attributes Main Technology PrimaryData rate Availability RAID Backup / Disaster recovery Low cost Write/read speed Tape ArchiveSecurity/Authenticity Cost of ownership Tape, RAID Optical

5. The customer perspective of Optical Some customers care about technology but they are not the majority Customers ask the supplier to solve their business needs – typically focussed on storage retention time, availability Some customers have a check list which may specify the technology Increasingly customers are asking how they can verify the quality of the archived data Methods are under discussion in standards groups

6. Issues to be addressed by a new technology Barriers exist which slow down the adoption of a new technology Users have to be comfortable with the technology – the “validation” of adoption by a major user adds momentum Standards help in some market sectors but no-one wants to be first ! If it looks different from existing products there are major issues in achieving rapid adoption – media, drive, device driver - application The major barriers come from entrenched suppliers with well established technologies –Major companies have a huge investment in their technology –They will adapt their offerings to meet market need - WORM tape and RAID –It is a tough job to get into established markets – small specialist companies nibble around the edges!

7. Thank you