What Is LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Technology? | Ultrium LTO

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WHAT IS LTO TECHNOLOGY? &#x3b; Linear Tape Open (LTO), also known as the LTO Ultrium format is a powerful, scalable, adaptable open tape format that is optimized for high capacity, maximum storage density and performance. Since the first LTO products were brought to market, over 5.7 million drives [1], 383 million cartridges, and 649 billion GB of media capacity have been shipped, making LTO Ultrium the most successful tape format in history.

LTO tape technology has inherent and easily utilized attributes that can ensure data survival from encryption attacks and help thwart data exfiltration attacks. These include the industry best-practices of air gap, encryption, and immutability.

IDC Blog sponsored by the LTO Program “LTO Tape to the Rescue: How this Proven Technology Can Be a Powerful Weapon Against Ransomware”, IDC 2025

April 2025

The Tape Advantage

LTO technology is unrivalled as a low-cost, high capacity, reliable, portable and secure solution for data protection. LTO tape complements disk, flash and cloud solutions in tiered storage architectures, providing a low-cost, last line of defence against ransomware and disaster in the bottom tier. Offline copies of LTO tapes separate data archives from the connected environment. Systems can be restored using clean tape copies of the data following security breaches and catastrophic events. Whether you’re archiving big data for analytics, managing hours of digital video or simply transporting large data files from premises to the vault, LTO tape offers cost-effective, high-performance storage for the most demanding applications.

A Technology You Can Trust

The LTO Ultrium format is backed by the most respected names in the storage industry, providing an open format to enable interoperability between drives and media from multiple licensed vendors. Organizations have the freedom to choose any combination of drives, libraries and cartridges without the risk of being locked into proprietary technology.

With a well-defined roadmap stretching to generation 14, LTO Ultrium offers a safe investment and the scalability to manage fast-growing data volumes in organizations large and small.

1 IDC Tape Worldwide Factory Out Report

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