LAS VEGAS (May 8, 2001)—Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN), a worldwide leader in data storage and information management, will showcase its full line of network and data center tape products and professional storage consulting services at Booth #LVCC 925 during Networld+Interop in Las Vegas, May 8 - 10. The show marks a new look and refined customer focus for Imation's data storage media and services business that reflects both the growth and importance of tape storage systems in storage networking environments. An Imation in-booth presentation on this topic will explain the role that tape storage systems—such as the new Ultrium format—play in meeting network managers' needs for data capacity, security and access. "The need for data storage is exploding, as is the value of the data being saved. As a result, tape systems offer users higher capacity than ever before, often coupled with faster access to data," said Jim Ellis, strategic marketing director, Imation Data Storage and Information Management. "Networks are becoming increasingly distributed and require more centralized storage management—a function that elevates tape storage to a strategic level within many organizations. With nearly 50 years of tape cartridge technology leadership, Imation is anticipating and delivering to our customers the resources they need to better manage their network storage." Imation will showcase its line of network and data center format tape cartridges that includes Imation Travan, SLR, the industry leading Black Watch DLTtape, 3590E, 9840, and 9940 cartridges, and the newest addition, Black Watch Ultrium tape cartridges. The addition allows users to choose nearly any capacity or format tape cartridge from Imation as it fits their business' needs. Designed for network data processing, backup and archive applications, the Ultrium tape system features 15 MB/sec native transfer rate, and four cartridge capacities of 20, 60, 100, and 200GB capacity (2:1 compression). Imation Black Watch Ultrium cartridges passed the independent Linear Tape-Open (LTO) cartridge format specification process in April. Imation designed Black Watch Ultrium tape cartridges with unique reliability features that help allay user concerns about the risk associated with storing—and the potential of losing—up to 200GB of data per tape cartridge. A proprietary three-piece tape spool delivers improved tape handling for better tracking and fewer errors, and a proprietary corner snap on the door corner helps improve cartridge strength in the event of a dropped cartridge. To ensure predictable tape performance, Imation conducts a three-phase performance verification process on every cartridge, and also offers a variety of operational and cartridge-specific services such as media care and handling, and data migration. By breaking the physical barrier of a tape drive directly connected to a server, several new backup/restore paradigms now exist giving users even more options. LAN-free backup architectures and server-less backup infrastructures are the hot projects that have been technically enabled by storage networks. And, with more tape options available today, users now have the tools available to implement a streamlined and cost-effective backup infrastructure over a storage network. To help senior and executive level IT staff navigate and address their most pressing storage issues, the new Imation Kick-Start Program from Imation Storage Consulting helps identify potential pitfalls and the best migration plans for a company's network storage environment. The Kick-Start Program is a half-day, on-site training session performed by a vendor-neutral Imation senior storage architect that includes an interactive strategy session to address a company's current IT environment, its storage and infrastructure challenges, and the best storage networking architectures to address these issues. Based on Imation's experience working with clients in its Storage Networking Lab and in storage consulting engagements, Imation draws from real-world experience with other clients facing similar storage networking issues to help identify specific architectures the company should investigate to address its business challenges. The session is customized to the participating audience and is available in an executive or technical track.