ACADEMIA

Spectra Logic, celebrating 30 years of data storage innovation, today announced a record-setting quarter for its disk-based backup and deduplication appliances. The positive quarter reflected strong double-digit year over year growth for its enterprise and mid-range data protection solutions, which includes disk, tape, software and services.

Following three consecutive years of profitability, Spectra Logic sustained its profitable track record, posting profits for its fiscal second quarter and first half of 2010, which ended December 31, 2009. The world’s highest capacity enterprise tape library, the Spectra T-Finity was one of many leading products and innovations that the company introduced during this period.

“Our unrelenting focus on breakthrough technology innovation and leadership has set us apart from the competition and is helping to fuel our market traction and growth,” said Nathan Thompson, Spectra Logic’s chief executive officer and founder. “Spectra Logic continues to invest in innovative backup and archive solutions that support today’s demanding data protection requirements, including those driven by massive data growth, increased use of digitization and rigorous compliance regulations.”

Strong demand for enterprise and mid-range data protection solutions
Spectra Logic achieved double-digit sales growth in its enterprise and medium-sized tape libraries, disk-based systems and services/support. Spectra Logic’s disk-based nTier backup and deduplication appliances posted a record-setting quarter, led by the Spectra nTier 700. This popular mid-range backup solution easily integrates into existing environments, and allows customers to dramatically reduce storage consumption, efficiently replicate data from remote locations, and work with existing backup applications, including CommVault, Syncsort, Symantec and many others.

Strong sales of the Spectra T950 and the introduction of the Spectra T-Finity boosted the company’s enterprise tape sales. This growth reflects customers’ growing reliance on Spectra Logic’s enterprise tape libraries to provide scalable, high density, high-performance data backup and archiving platforms.

Increased sales of the company’s data protection solutions were driven by strong traction in the high-performance computing (HPC), media and entertainment, and federal government sectors as well as new product introductions.

Product introductions and recognition
Milestone data protection products and innovations were introduced during the first half of fiscal 2010, and Spectra Logic continued to receive industry-wide recognition of its success in the market.

Announcements and recent honors include:

•   Finalist for Storage Magazine’s 2009 Product of the Year: Enterprise Data Storage, Jan. 2010
•   Spectra T-Finity named Product of the Year at 2010 Storage Visions Conference, Jan. 2010
•   Spectra nTier Deduplication appliance excels in third party test lab review, Jan. 2010
•   Spectra Logic introduces T-Finity, the industry’s highest capacity and most efficient enterprise tape library, Nov. 2009
•   First Spectra T-Finity shipped for production use, Dec. 2009
•   Spectra Logic delivers high-performance deduplication to European market, Sept. 2009
•   Spectra Logic offers industry’s first LTO-5 tape drive pre-purchase program, Sept. 2009
•   Spectra Logic introduces high availability enterprise tape enhancements previously only available in disk arrays, Aug. 2009
•   Spectra Logic simplifies remote site data replication and tape archive with integrated, deduplication solution, Aug. 2009

Channel growth and expansion
Spectra Logic continued to expand its channel partnerships, and increased its partner base by more than 10 percent in the first half of fiscal year 2010. This accelerated growth is expected to continue throughout 2010 as additional partners join Spectra Logic’s 400+ worldwide channel partners and enjoy the sales training support and attractive margins provided by the Spectra EDGE Partner Program. In addition, the company continued to expand its presence across Europe.