Imation First Media Manufacturer to Sell LTO Ultrium Generation 3 Tape Cartridges to Worldwide Customers


OAKDALE, Minn. (October 25, 2004) — Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN), a worldwide leader in removable data storage media, today announced it has received approval from the LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Program's three technology provider companies (TPCs) — Certance, HP and IBM Corporation, to manufacture and sell LTO Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges, and announced it is the first media manufacturer to ship Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges to customers worldwide. This first-to-sell position is a result of Imation's new Tera Ångstrom™ technology, a proprietary coating formulation and process that is used to manufacture new high capacity media that provides customers with the highest levels of durability and reliability.


Imation's LTO Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges will offer twice the storage capacity over Generation 2 cartridges, with an increase to 800GB capacity compressed (assuming a 2:1 compression) and transfer rates of up to 160MB/second compressed (assuming a 2:1 compression).


"Imation's ability to be the first company to ship product to worldwide customers is a result of the exceptional work of Imation's R&D and manufacturing teams, as well as the investments we've made in Tera ?Angstrom technology and our new tape manufacturing facility in Weatherford, Oklahoma. These investments will continue to allow the fast scale-up of new technologies in the future," said Colleen Willhite, vice president, Imation's Magnetic Products Business.


Imation's approval from Certance, HP and IBM to manufacture and sell LTO Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges and its position as the first company to ship LTO Generation 3 tape cartridges to customers is a logical progression in a series of firsts:

• Imation was the first partner to announce it applied for the LTO Ultrium Generation 3 license.
• Imation was the first to receive LTO Ultrium Generation 3 licensing from the LTO consortium.
• Imation was first to submit an initial sample lot to Measurement Analysis Corporation (MAC), an independent testing board for compliance verification testing.
  
  
  "We understand the demands on companies today for greater tape capacity and increased reliability to support backup and restore applications, disaster recovery and data archiving. The new coating formulation and processes found within our Tera Ångstrom technology demonstrate our commitment to help companies meet these demands by providing next-generation tape products with the most durability and highest reliability," added Willhite.
  
  
  Imation LTO Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges also feature innovative and patented technologies that make Imation's cartridge more robust than competitive offerings, including:
  
• A corner snap, patented by Imation, which improves cartridge strength by keeping the leader pin in place and the cartridge tightly closed in the event of rough handling.
• A patented three-piece tape spool that distributes stress more evenly over the tape surface for better performance and longer archival life.
• An increase in tape durability enabled by Imation's dual layer media using next-generation metal particulate (MP3) media formulation.
  
  
  In addition, Imation's proprietary servo-writing process optimizes tape tracking and helps ensure accurate read/write operations — enabling best-in-class Position Error Signal (PES) performance to minimize servo off track errors and improve overall transfer rates.
  
  Imation is shipping product immediately to customers worldwide. For more information about Imation's LTO Ultrium Generation 3 tape cartridges, please visit http://www.imation.com/ultrium.
  
  
  About Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Technology
  LTO technology is a powerful, scaleable, adaptable open tape format created by technology providers Certance, HP, and IBM Corporation to help meet the growing demands of data protection in the midrange to enterprise-class server environments. This ultra-high capacity generation of tape storage products is designed to deliver outstanding performance, capacity and reliability combining the advantages of linear multi-channel, bi-directional formats with enhancements in servo technology, data compression, track layout, and error correction.
  
  
  The LTO Ultrium format has a well-defined roadmap for growth and scalability — a roadmap that projects a doubling of speed and capacity with each new generation. Independent compliance verification is vital to meet the free-interchange objectives that are at the core of the LTO Program. Ultrium tape mechanism and tape cartridge interchange specifications are available on a licensee basis. For additional information on LTO technology, visit the LTO Program Web site at http://www.ultrium.com.
  
  
  About Imation's Tera Angstrom Technology
  Imation's Tera Angstrom technology is based on three proprietary techniques:
  
• Impingement process: This involves the use of high-pressure (>10,000 psi) impingement jets that force particles against each other to blast apart the magnetic clusters and separates them into nanomagnetic elements to enable magnetic layer pigment uniformity — resulting in smaller particle size and more uniform distribution.
• Quiescent drying process: This process involves a delicate drying environment that utilizes low air velocity and magnetic coils for extremely precise particle orientation — virtually eliminating coating disturbances and orienting the particles precisely to allow for maximum bit density and storage capacity.
• In-line calendering process: This process uses a series of rollers with an ultra-smooth finish that compress the tape surface to achieve surface smoothness measured in angstrom units. This surface smoothness and uniformity allows for the increased bit and track density needed to manufacture higher capacity cartridges.