SONY ADDS SATA INTERFACE TO ITS AIT TURBO LINE

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 11, 2006 - Sony Electronics is one of the first tape drive manufacturers to offer a range of tape drives that support the Serial Advanced Technology Architecture (SATA) interface.

Adding SATA connectivity extends the versatility and value of its Advanced Intelligent Tape ™ (AIT) Turbo drives with new AIT-1 Turbo and AIT-2 Turbo.

"The introduction of SATA AIT Turbo drives demonstrates our commitment to remaining at the forefront of the tape industry and providing our customers with solutions that are flexible, cost effective, and offer true value across applications," said Alan Sund, general manager for tape storage solutions in Sony Electronics' Component and Business Solutions Division. "SATA AIT Turbo drives are a key component in enabling and driving the industry's efforts to achieve a true SATA-based disk-to-disk-to-tape (D2D2T) architecture. Uniting disk and tape, along with the capabilities of SATA, is a great boon for budget-constrained, performance-starved storage administrators who know that tape storage coupled with hard disk drives in D2D2T configurations provides the best attributes of disk, with the economy and scalability of tape."

"The increasing adoption of SATA drives into enterprise storage is enabling lower cost storage solutions," said Robert Amatruda, research manager at IDC. "SATA-based backup solutions, such as Sony's AIT-1 Turbo and AIT-2 Turbo drives, further streamline the cost of backing up SATA-based storage solutions by eliminating the need for SCSI or FC adapters in server-attached configurations."

SATA AIT Turbo drives offer a range of capacity and performance options. AIT-2 Turbo drives feature an 80GB native storage capacity (208GB using 2.6:1 compression) and a fast 12MB/second sustained native transfer rate. AIT-1 Turbo delivers a 40GB native storage capacity (104GB compressed) with a 6MB/second sustained native transfer rate. In addition, the thin SATA cables create an interface that is easy to implement into existing network infrastructures. AIT-2 Turbo drives also offer WORM capability, allowing small to mid-size companies to easily deploy best practices to assist them in their compliance efforts.

Pricing and Availability

SATA-based AIT-1 Turbo and AIT-2 Turbo drives are currently available for evaluation to Sony OEM customers. Sony-branded SATA drives are expected later this month and will be available through Sony's extensive channel of commercial distributors, value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators. Suggested pricing is as follows:

Sony currently offers a three-year limited warranty and optional onsite service support and enhancement programs with its branded AIT tape storage offerings.

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Editor's Note: For more detailed product information, readers can visit www.storagebysony.com or www.mediabysony.com. For additional press information and digital images, please visit Sony Electronics' news and information web site at www.sony.com/news. For more information regarding the nearest Sony authorized dealer or service location, call 1-800-686-SONY.