SymplyPRO LTO Tape Drive & Library
In an era of massive data growth and increasing cyber threats, finding a reliable long-term storage solution is more critical than ever before. Symply provides industry-leading LTO tape drive and LTO tape library technology (including new LTO-10 drives) designed specifically for professionals who require secure, scalable, and cost-effective data management. Linear Tape-Open (LTO) remains the gold standard for offline storage, offering an essential “air-gapped” defense against ransomware and malware that cloud-only or disk-based solutions simply cannot match.
Our comprehensive range of LTO tape storage systems covers the full spectrum of modern needs, including cutting-edge LTO-10 technology as well as reliable LTO-7, LTO-8, and LTO-9 options. This ensures both backward compatibility for your existing archives and future-proof performance for your growing data sets. Whether you are a creative professional managing massive video assets or an IT manager securing enterprise-level corporate backups, our LTO tape drives and libraries deliver the sustained throughput and reliability your workflow demands.
Why choose Symply for your LTO tapes and hardware?
- Unmatched Versatility: We offer a wide variety of configurations, including compact standalone desktop units, high-density rackmount systems, and fully automated tape libraries.
- Modern Connectivity: Our drives are engineered with advanced connectivity options such as Thunderbolt, SAS, Ethernet, and Fibre Channel, allowing them to integrate seamlessly into any modern environment.
- Long-Term Data Integrity: With a shelf life of up to 30 years, linear tape open technology is officially the most durable and reliable medium available for long-term digital archiving.
Investing in high-quality LTO tape storage significantly reduces your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over time. Unlike cloud storage, which incurs recurring monthly fees, or hard drives, which are prone to mechanical failure, tape offers a one-time investment in hardware with low-cost media.
Choose your preferred LTO form factor and drive generation below (from LTO-7 to LTO-10), or contact our team of experts today, and we’ll be able to help you choose the perfect setup for your professional workflow.
Desktop LTO Tape Drives
Rackmount LTO Tape Drives
LTO Tape Libraries
What is LTO Tape Technology?
LTO Tape FAQs
What is LTO tape storage?
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) is a magnetic tape storage technology designed for backup and long-term archiving. It’s ideal for large volumes of data that need to be kept securely and cost-effectively but don’t need constant high-speed access. Tape cartridges can also be removed and stored offline, adding an extra layer of protection for archived data.
What is LTO tape best used for?
LTO is used for backup, long-term archive and cold storage, wherever organisations need to retain large amounts of data securely over many years. Common uses include media and post-production archives, broadcast libraries, research data, healthcare and financial records, and data centre archives.
What LTO products does Symply offer?
Symply offers a full range of SymplyPRO LTO tape storage across three form factors: desktop LTO drives, 1U and 2U rackmount LTO drives, and SymplyPRO XTL tape libraries. Drives are available from LTO-7 through to the latest LTO-10, with Thunderbolt/USB4, SAS, Fibre Channel and Ethernet connectivity options.
What is the difference between desktop LTO, rackmount LTO and an LTO library?
Desktop LTO drives are standalone units that sit at or near a workstation, ideal for individual professionals and small teams. Rackmount LTO drives fit into a standard server rack, suited to server rooms, studios and larger facilities. LTO tape libraries automate the handling of multiple cartridges, giving greater capacity and hands-off operation for large or growing archives.
What is the difference between LTO-8, LTO-9 and LTO-10?
Each generation increases capacity per cartridge. LTO-8 holds 12 TB native (30 TB compressed) and LTO-9 holds 18 TB native (45 TB compressed). LTO-10 is available in two cartridge capacities: 30 TB native (75 TB compressed), and a higher-capacity 40 TB native (100 TB compressed) cartridge.
Speed also depends on the drive type: full-height LTO-9 and LTO-10 drives run at up to 400 MB/s native, and full-height LTO-8 at up to 360 MB/s, while half-height drives are typically slower. LTO-10 is currently available in full-height drives only. LTO-10 tapes can also be used straight out of the box, without the up-to-two-hour optimisation LTO-9 requires for each new tape.
Compatibility differs too: LTO-9 drives can read and write LTO-8 tapes, and LTO-8 drives can read and write LTO-7, but LTO-10 drives only work with LTO-10 tapes. If you need to access an existing archive, Symply can help you choose the right generation for your workflow. To learn more about LTO-10, watch our LTO-10 overview video.
Can newer LTO drives read older LTO tapes?
It depends on the generation. LTO-7 drives can write one previous generation and read two. LTO-8 and LTO-9 drives read and write one previous generation. LTO-10 drives only work with LTO-10 tapes. If you have an existing tape archive, Symply can help you plan the right drive and migration strategy.
What connectivity options do Symply LTO drives support?
SymplyPRO desktop and rackmount LTO drives are available with Thunderbolt/USB4, SAS and Ethernet connectivity. SymplyPRO XTL tape libraries support SAS, Fibre Channel, Thunderbolt and Ethernet. This means Symply LTO can integrate into anything from a single creative workstation to a large enterprise or data centre environment. Thunderbolt connectivity also makes Symply a strong fit for Mac-based media and post-production workflows.
How long does LTO tape last?
LTO tape has a shelf life of up to 30 years when stored in the right environmental conditions, making it one of the most durable media available for long-term digital archiving. Many organisations also migrate their archives to newer LTO generations over time to take advantage of higher capacities.
How does LTO protect data from ransomware?
LTO cartridges can be removed from the drive and stored offline, creating an “air gap” between your archive and your network. Because offline tapes can’t be reached by malware or ransomware on the network, LTO is an important part of any backup and disaster-recovery strategy.
Is LTO tape cheaper than cloud storage for long-term archive?
For large archives that are accessed infrequently, LTO is typically the most cost-effective option available. Unlike cloud storage, there are no recurring monthly fees or retrieval charges. You make a one-time investment in hardware, then add low-cost tape media as your archive grows. Contact Symply’s team to find the right LTO setup for your workflow.
Is LTO tape cheaper than DAS or NAS storage?
On day one, usually not. A capable LTO drive or small library typically costs more upfront than an equivalent DAS or NAS enclosure. But because every additional terabyte of tape costs a fraction of the price of hard disk, LTO quickly pays for itself.
With hard drive prices rising sharply, that now typically happens in around a year and a half, and the savings keep growing from there. An independent 10-year study found an LTO-9 archive to be 83% less costly than an equivalent hard-disk approach, which can mean tens of thousands saved over a few years for a growing archive.
DAS and NAS remain the right choice for active projects that need fast, everyday access, while LTO is the most cost-effective option for data you need to keep long term. Many organizations use both. Read our full LTO vs DAS vs NAS cost comparison.