Las Vegas: Sony Electronics and Computer Associates International (CA) have announced complete storage solutions with write-once read-many (WORM) functionality that combine Sony''s WORM-enabled family of desktop and slim-line AIT StorStation autoloaders and libraries with CA''s WORM-ready BrightStor ARCserve Backup software, and Sony''s AIT WORM tape media.

These solutions address today''s intensifying data retention and storage requirements, driven by growing government regulatory mandates. They are also the first deliverables resulting from the alliance the two companies announced today to jointly promote integrated data storage solutions. The new solutions are being demonstrated at CA World this week in booth #1309.

With these WORM-enabled storage solutions, customers can easily implement long-term protection for their backups and archives, while also satisfying government regulations for electronic record keeping and data retention. The solutions are especially appealing to customers in vertical markets such as those financial services institutions that must adhere to SEC record retention rules, as well as those healthcare organisations that must abide by HIPAA legislation.

The joint Sony/CA solutions provide businesses with all the benefits of automated tape backups, while meeting stringent regulatory requirements for long term and write-once data retention. In addition, the costs associated with AIT WORM tape storage are only a fraction of WORM optical storage or other high-end WORM tape solutions.

"The solutions that Sony and CA are offering provide affordable, easy-to-manage storage for small businesses, remote offices and corporate departments-markets that are currently under-served, yet also must comply with growing regulatory requirements," says Steve Baker, vice-president for Sony Electronics'' tape storage solutions division. "By adding write-once functionality to our compact AIT autoloaders and libraries at no additional cost, we are meeting the needs of a huge volume of users who must store and retain data on a medium that cannot be rewritten or reformatted."

"By including CA''s BrightStor ARCserve software with Sony''s AIT solutions, we are making it extremely easy for customers to use WORM technology for both business protection and regulatory compliance," says Gary McGuire, CA senior vice-president for BrightStor solutions. "Our combined solution simplifies and speeds data retrieval, which is also a critical consideration in the implementation of any record-retention strategy."

For small and medium-sized businesses, Sony''s compact and stylish desktop AIT autoloaders (LIB-D81) can be conveniently placed next to a server or workstation, providing compressed capacity of up to 2.08TB. The rack-mountable slim-line AIT autoloaders (LIB-81) and libraries (LIB-162) pack up to 2 to 4 TB of compressed capacity into systems that are 1-U and 2-U high.

Each Sony StorStation model for WORM will be available in an AIT-2 or AIT-3 version and support both rewritable and write-once AIT media. All three generations of AIT drives, autoloaders and libraries support full media read/write backward compatibility with previous AIT generations for scalability and investment protection.

These StorStation solutions will ship with a full version copy of BrightStor ARCserve Backup v9, which has been enhanced to support AIT WORM technology. BrightStor ARCserve Backup provides complete data management and backup automation capabilities from a highly intuitive user interface.

The WORM-enabled StorStation storage solutions must be used in conjunction with specially designated AIT WORM tape cartridges. Once recorded, AIT WORM media cannot be re-written or re-formatted, but data can be appended to the end of previously recorded information. With the added WORM capabilities, the combined Sony and CA solutions can prevent accidental or intentional erasure of data, while enabling time and date authentication. The solutions also facilitate quick search and retrieval of archived files

Sony AIT Desktop Autoloader LIB-D81/A2 and LIB-D81/A3: Incorporates one AIT-2 or AIT-3 drive and eight cartridge slots in a tabletop design that is easy to place on a desktop or atop a server. Its storage capacity reaches up to 2.08 TB with 2.6:1 ALDC compression. For regulatory-compliant data storage, the solution will come with a WORM-enabled full version of CA''s BrightStor ARCserve Backup v9 and Sony AIT WORM media cartridges.

Sony AIT Autoloader LIB-81/A2 and LIB-81/A3: Houses either one AIT-2 or AIT-3 drive and eight cartridge slots in a sleek system that is only 1U high. It also provides a hefty storage capacity of up to 2.08 TB with 2.6:1 ALDC compression. For regulatory-compliant data storage, the solution will come with a WORM-enabled full version of CA''s BrightStor ARCserve Backup v9 and Sony AIT WORM media cartridges.

Sony AIT Library LIB-162/A2 and LIB-162/A3: Houses one AIT-2, or AIT-3 drive (expandable to two) and 16 cartridge slots in a 2U-slim rack-mountable design. It features up to 4.16 TB of capacity with 2.6:1 ALDC compression. For regulatory-compliant data storage, the solution will come with a WORM-enabled full version of CA''s BrightStor ARCserve Backup v9 and Sony AIT WORM media cartridges.

Pricing and availability The Sony and CA combined WORM-enabled solutions are expected to become available in August. Prices for the packages will start at about $4,500. Sony-branded storage solutions can be purchased through Sony-approved distributors, reseller partners, value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators. Sony currently offers a three-year limited warranty and optional service and support enhancement programmes.