Same deal here -- except this helps improve QNTM's workstation biz situation.
Monday March 30, 9:09 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Quantum Viking II Ranks Among First Widely Available Ultra2 SCSI LVD Hard Drives
Fast-growing PC server and workstation markets now can leverage current technologies to obtain needed throughput for
data-intensive applications
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 1998-- Quantum Corporation (NMS:QNTM) today announced that the Quantum Viking(tm) II
high-capacity hard drive -- one of the industry's first 9.1GB and 4.5GB drives to feature the high-bandwidth Ultra2 SCSI Low Voltage Differential (LVD)
interface -- is also one of the first such products to move in volume through the distribution channel.
Widespread availability of the Quantum Viking II means today's legions of LAN server and workstation users can obtain the I/O throughput they need for
increasingly data-intensive applications without having to switch to a more expensive, alternative interface technology.
Quantum has begun shipping the new hard drive to its worldwide network of leading industrial distributors, including Arrow, Bell Micro, Marshall Industries,
and Wyle. The company also has delivered evaluation units to OEMs. Quantum expects to begin volume shipments to major server and workstation OEMs
within the second quarter of the calendar year.
The Quantum Viking II has successfully undergone broad compatibility testing with host-adapter products from leading vendors, including Adaptec, ATTO
Technology, Diamond Multimedia, and Symbios Logic.
''Quantum continues to be a leader in bringing new drive interface technologies to market,'' said Drew Hoffman, corporate vice president and general manager
of Adaptec's SCSI Solutions Group. ''Quantum Viking II is an excellent solution for delivering both the increased connectivity and higher bandwidth
capabilities of Ultra2 SCSI.''
'The right product for the right market at the right time'
The Quantum Viking II is specifically designed to meet the high performance, high reliability, yet low-cost storage requirements of applications running on LAN
servers and personal workstations -- today's fastest-growing storage segments. Unit shipments of high-performance hard drives for LAN servers alone are
expanding 27 percent annually and will reach nearly 6.5 million units in 1998, according to market research firm International Data Corporation. Applications
driving this growth include digital video, Internet and intranet services, workgroup computing, and RAID storage.
The Quantum Viking II economically addresses the increasing throughput demands of these applications via Quantum's implementation of the new Ultra2
SCSI interface. Representing the latest advancement in parallel SCSI technology, Ultra2 SCSI brings immediate improvements to system I/O performance by
doubling the drive's external data transfer rate to an unprecedented 80 megabytes (MB)/second. Unlike serial SCSI interfaces, it also enables users to leverage
their existing parallel SCSI infrastructures while obtaining the bandwidth they need.
''Our ability to quickly supply distributors with an Ultra2 SCSI drive demonstrates Quantum's leadership not only in storage technology, but also in bringing
the right product to the right market at the right time,'' said Skip Shapiro, product line manager for the Quantum Viking II.
Shapiro noted that organizations across a broad spectrum of industries are running mission-critical applications on LAN servers utilizing Intel/Microsoft and
UNIX platforms, and the possibility of I/O constraints on system performance is something they cannot tolerate. ''Yet many of these companies also cannot
afford the risk of switching to an expensive new drive interface to avoid such bottlenecks, or having to throw out their current storage investments,'' he said.
''With the Quantum Viking II drive, organizations don't have to make such tradeoffs -- and they no longer have to wait for a precisely targeted solution.''
According to an article published in the January 19, 1998, issue of Computer Reseller News, the Viking II is the best buy for storage capacity per dollar
among 9.1GB drives. ''It offers more than 10 Mbytes per dollar,'' the article stated. Quantum's distribution customers also emphasize the drive's
cost-effectiveness, as well as its other benefits. ''The Quantum Viking II will help us better serve our OEM customers by enabling them to keep pace with
changing drive requirements while meeting end users' real cost-of-ownership needs,'' said Steve Woo, vice president, computer products, for nationwide
distributor Marshall Industries. ''Combined with the quality and reliability for which Quantum drives are renowned, that makes the Quantum Viking II a
valuable offering for Marshall Industries.''
About the Quantum Viking II
The Quantum Viking II has been optimized to address the range of its target market's capacity and price/performance needs. The new hard drive features
leading capacities of 9.1GB and 4.5GB in a 1-inch-high, 3.5-inch disk form factor suited to the low-profile storage requirements of LAN servers and desktop
workstations.
The Quantum Viking II is available in dual mode, Ultra2 SCSI/Ultra SCSI models that enable users to take advantage of the new SCSI bus transfer rate while
maintaining compatibility with earlier Quantum drives. Its industry-leading performance also derives from an average seek time of 7.5 ms, a rotational speed of
7200 RPM, and a fast internal data transfer rate of 170 megabits (Mb)/second. The Quantum Viking II combines these capabilities with an economical, single
microprocessor-based design, resulting in a high-end drive precisely suited to PC server and workstation users' cost requirements
The new Quantum drive also meets the critical need for high data availability and integrity through its advanced technology design, triple-burst Error Correction
Code (ECC) on-the-fly technology, and Smart Revision 2 support.
Suggested retail prices for the 9.1GB and 4.5GB Quantum Viking II drives are $895 and $595, respectively.
About Quantum
Founded in 1980, Quantum Corporation (www.quantum.com) has developed leadership positions in both fixed and removable storage products. One of the
highest volume global suppliers of hard disk drives and the leader in the mid-range tape market, Quantum is widely recognized as a quality leader in the
industry. The company sells a broad range of storage products to OEM and distribution customers worldwide. Quantum's sales for the fiscal year ending
March 1997 were $5.3 billion.
Contact:
UpStart Communications
Public Relations
Julie Criscenti-Heck
510/420-7975
jheck@upstart.com |
