Contrary to the belief that tape storage is dead, the LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Program group, which includes HPE, IBM, and Quantum Corporation, reported a 5% YoY increase in shipments compared to last year, on top of a staggering 40% volume increase seen in the previous year, demonstrating the speedy adoption of the latest technology. LTO-8 continues to be a great seller for value-conscious buyers, but LTO-9 has increased compressed data density and transfer rates. Tape is still in demand and has found room to grow, particularly with the increased demand for cheap, reliable, and capacious storage for unstructured data. Hyperscalers and enterprises are the primary fuel behind the LTO Program’s growth.
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/tape-storage-trundles-on-increases-yearly-volume-to-128-exabytes