Advanced Holographic Tape Challenges Magnetic Tape, Boasting a 50-year Life Span and 200TB Capacity per Cartridge - HoloMem Claims that Optical Ribbon-based Cartridges Compatible with Certain Components of Existing Systems, Reducing Friction.
The UK-based startup, HoloMem, is set to disrupt the cold storage industry with its innovative holographic cold storage technology. Backed by notable investors like Intel Ignite and Innovate UK, HoloMem's technology offers several significant advantages over traditional LTO magnetic tape storage systems.
One of the most notable advantages is the **much higher capacity** of HoloMem cartridges. With a capacity of up to 200TB per cartridge, HoloMem's technology provides more than 11 times the capacity of the latest LTO-10 magnetic tape cartridges. This means that businesses can store more data in a smaller space, leading to cost savings and increased efficiency.
Another key advantage is the **significantly longer shelf life** of HoloMem's technology. With a shelf life of about 50 years, the optical polymer-based holographic tape offers a lifespan roughly 10 times longer than magnetic tape's typical 5-year lifespan. This makes HoloMem's technology an attractive option for long-term data storage.
HoloMem's technology also offers **zero energy storage costs**. Unlike magnetic tapes that require controlled environments and sometimes power usage for error correction or preservation, HoloMem's optical solution can be stored for long periods without energy input, reducing total cost of ownership.
The technology is designed to be easily integrated into existing LTO tape libraries. HoloMem cartridges are the exact size of LTO cartridges and can be used as "drop-in" replacements without requiring changes to upstream software or robot transport systems. This seamless compatibility with current LTO systems minimises adoption friction.
The technology also uses off-the-shelf components like a $5 laser diode and mass-produced polymer sheets, making the drives robust, affordable, and easier to manufacture compared to other more exotic holographic or optical storage methods.
The data is stored as microscopic holograms ("voxels") created by laser-induced structural changes in a polymer ribbon. This write-once, read-many (WORM) format increases data durability and integrity over time.
TechRe consultants will use the first HoloDrives in their UK data centers to verify product performance, reliability, and robustness. With these advantages, HoloMem's technology could offer a game-changing upgrade for cold storage: massively increased capacity, improved longevity, reduced cost of operation, and seamless compatibility with current LTO tape infrastructure — all enabled by innovative holographic optical recording on polymer ribbons.
HoloMem's competitors, such as Cerabyte and Microsoft's Project Silica, may face greater challenges for widespread adoption due to their systems' lesser flexibility and more expensive read/write hardware compared to HoloMem's.
Founder Charlie Gale, with a background at Dyson working on robot vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, has also contributed to the development of Dyson's multi-hologram security sticker labels. With these credentials, Gale is well-positioned to lead HoloMem in its mission to revolutionise the cold storage industry.
[1] HoloMem. (2022). HoloMem. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://www.holomem.co.uk/
[2] HoloMem. (2022). HoloMem's Holographic Tape: The Next Generation of Data Storage. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://www.holomem.co.uk/blog/holomems-holographic-tape-the-next-generation-of-data-storage
[4] HoloMem. (2022). HoloMem's Holographic Tape Technology. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://www.holomem.co.uk/technology/
Data-and-cloud-computing technology is instrumental in the development of HoloMem's holographic cold storage technology, offering advantages like much higher capacity and significantly longer shelf life compared to traditional LTO magnetic tape storage systems. This technology also reduces energy storage costs and is designed to be easily integrated into existing LTO tape libraries.
