SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Optical Storage Technology Gains More Momentum SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION WHY BUY OPTICAL? Because of its inherent Even as DVD technology attracts require flexible, cost-effective storage flexibility and affordability, considerable attention, venerable CD capabilities. CD-R, with its advantages technology is not only holding its own, in media compatibility, longevity, and optical storage technology but recordable versions are making portability, meets these needs. continues to grow at a rapid substantial gains. In particular, CD-R Recordable CDs are now being used pace. and CD-RW media will continue to be to receive, store, and disseminate large leading data storage solutions for the quantities of digital, analog, audio, next five to 10 years, according to video, and graphic data. The rapid This evolving technology Raymond C. Freeman, Jr., facilitator growth of the Internet, with its wealth owes much of its success to for the Optical Storage Technology of easily accessible multimedia data, Association (OSTA), an international coupled with the inclusion of a CD-ROM the standardization of the trade association created to promote drive in virtually every home and Compact Disc (CD) in the the use and proliferation of optical business computer, is also driving 1980s by Philips and Sony. recording technologies and products. the need for the kind of storage Because this standard has “In spite of the promise of DVD and capabilities recordable CD technology other emerging optical technologies, provides. And even though the Y2K bug been universally accepted, recordable CD stands out as an ideal failed to bite due to the efforts of the CD market has been on solution to meet industry needs for IT organizations around the world, a steady growth path over next-generation, cost-effective storage preparations for the millennial non- capabilities,” notes Freeman. event highlighted the effectiveness of the past two decades. Along Indeed, the market for recordable CD recordable CD technology for backing the way, the technology technologies is soaring, as indicated by up valuable files, records, and system has evolved from CD read- media sales. Freeman says that the 1.4 software. billion CD-R discs sold worldwide in A steady drop in price is also fueling only capabilities (CD-ROM), 1999 is just a beginning, predicting continued growth in the recordable CD to CD-Recordable (CD-R) that 3.3 billion units will be sold in marketplace. CD-R discs cost as little as and, most recently, the CD- 2001. In addition, demand for CD-RW $1 each — that’s fifteen-hundredths of drives is growing sharply according to a cent per megabyte, far less than other ReWritable (CD-RW) format. Mary Craig, principal analyst at the high capacity storage options, including CD-R permits permanent Gartner Group/Dataquest, research firm Zip disks. CD-RW disc prices are falling recording, while CD-RW discs located in San Jose, Calif., who as low as $2 each. Prices for the CD-RW can be recorded multiple predicts sales of 50 million units in drives that record both types of discs 2002; a major jump from the 14 million are also dropping, with low-end units times and content can be units shipped in 1999. starting below $100. Freeman edited or deleted. Among the factors driving this estimates that the adoption rate of CD- growth are the emergence of a variety of RW drives will grow briskly, eventually business and consumer applications that topping 20 million units a year. 3 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Advantages of Being Optical Navigating the Speed Bumps When compared with other random access The next evolutionary step in the development of removable storage solutions, the continued and optical storage technologies is recordable DVD. growing popularity of writable and rewritable However, DVD is not yet enjoying the smooth ride optical storage technology is hardly surprising, that recordable CD technology is experiencing. particularly the CD and DVD varieties. Among its Instead, during the 1990s, issues around royalties benefits are: and technology ownership had a major impact on • Compatibility — Due to OSTA’s MultiRead the definition of DVD technology, thereby impacting specification and broad support by operating the market’s growth. The result is the development of systems, all varieties of CD discs are easily two competing formats: the DVD-RAM format from readable on an ever-expanding universe of drives. OSTA is working to bring about the same Hitachi, Matsushita Electric, and Toshiba versus level of read compatibility for DVD discs as well. DVD+RW championed by Hewlett-Packard, Philips • Durability — Because a laser is used to store and Sony. In the opening skirmishes, the DVD+RW, and retrieve data on optical discs, nothing camp claimed higher capacity with its expected touches the recording layer but a beam of 3 GB capacity versus the DVD-RAM 2.6 GB coherent light. Optical discs last decades longer than traditional storage options. specification. The DVD+RW camp also contended that • Scalability — Optical technology provides a its specification was more backward compatible with variety of storage capacities with room to grow earlier CD and DVD formats. The DVD-RAM group from megabytes to terabytes. For example, counters with a claim of better defect management single-disc capacities range from 700 MB to 17 and a format that is more scalable to next GB, with jukeboxes running up into the terabyte generation higher capacity drives. While both formats range for data warehousing and other mass- storage applications. This is the only technology offer viable solutions; the disagreement between the of its type that can scale from laptop to two camps — plus the fact that the installed base of enterprise solutions. DVD-ROM and DVD-video players to read the • Accessibility — Migration software has been recordable discs is still relatively small — has developed that allows unused data to be moved resulted in slower than expected overall market from its primary location to an easily accessible optical library. Data can be saved more growth. conveniently for faster access and response Reporting on the DVD standards issue, Freeman times. Optical drive access to data rates — says that, “2.6 GB DVD-RAM drives are currently using random access technology — are typically available in the market and the 3 GB DVD+RW 100 times faster than tape. drives have not been introduced. DVD-RAM and • Capacity — A single 4.7-inch CD holds 700 MB DVD+RW drives capable of storing up to 4.7 GB on of data, the equivalent of approximately 20 four-drawer file cabinets. each side of the disc are expected to ship later this • Portability — Tough, portable, and secure, year. However, the lack of a single recordable DVD optical discs can even be transferred by mail. standard causes users to be understandably wary • Affordability — Recordable optical storage about which standard will ultimately prevail.” technologies have the lowest cost per megabyte Despite this, Freeman expects DVD to eventually of any removable random access media device. And CD-RW technology allows the re-use of the replace CD technology for low-cost, high-capacity media thousands of times, optimizing its storage of data and multimedia content price/performance characteristics. 4 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Enter OSTA Fortunately, OSTA has been operating behind the scenes with the MultiRead specification and licensing program may display the the consumer’s best interests in mind since 1992. Because OSTA MultiRead logo on their devices and in their marketing materials. is an association, not a standards body, it works to achieve a true In support of the industry’s growing migration to DVD consensus among all interested parties — a time consuming but technologies, OSTA is extending the capabilities of its MultiRead often rewarding process. Its goal is to promote the use and specification with its release of “MultiRead 2.” Developed to proliferation of optical recording technologies and, because its address the burgeoning needs of DVD technology, MultiRead 2 will member companies account for 85 percent of worldwide writable enable manufacturers of DVD drives to ensure read compatibility optical product shipments, it has had some notable successes. with the industry’s first rewritable DVD format — 2.6 GB DVD- Most pertinent to the potential resolution of the writable DVD RAM — in addition to allowing these drives to read all classes of situation is OSTA’s MultiRead specification. CD media, an important marketplace consideration given the MultiRead grew out of problems associated with reading CD-RW immense number of CD discs in use. MultiRead 2, which discs with drives designed to only read CD-ROM and CD-R discs. incorporates all elements of OSTA’s original MultiRead Because the reflectivity of the CR-ROM and CD-R discs is similar, specification, is designed to protect users’ investments in CD there were no significant incompatibility issues until CD-RW, with media and its content as they upgrade to DVD drives. its considerably lower disc reflectivity, appeared on the scene. Says Freeman, “As the popularity of optical storage continues OSTA’s voluntary MultiRead specification defines the requirements to grow, users must feel comfortable about moving to more that drives must meet in order to read all four principal types of powerful storage solutions without worrying about losing access CD discs — CD Audio, CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW. The MultiRead to content already recorded. That’s why OSTA will continue with specification is now integral to more than 95 percent of the CD its work of building consensus for compatibility in the optical drives being shipped, and plays a major role in sustaining the storage industry.” industry’s accelerating growth. Vendors whose drives qualify for OSTA — Building Consensus to Promote Optical Storage Technology Established in 1992, the mission of the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) has been to promote the use of optical recording technologies and products.