View all newsletters
Receive our newsletter - data, insights and analysis delivered to you
  1. Technology
December 18, 1988

DEC TO REOPEN PROCUREMENT OF IBM 3480-TYPE TAPE DRIVES

By CBR Staff Writer

IBM’s OEM contract from Digital Equipment Corp for its 3480 tape drives may be shortlived, and other suppliers who were eliminated in the first round – Storage Technology Corp and Hitachi Ltd among them – will get another crack at a share of the business. According to Electronic News, DEC has decided to make a new decision on a supplier for standard sized 3480 drives before the end of its fiscal year in June, in the second phase of what will now be a three-phase procurement expected to total between $200m and $500m. DEC’s decision to reopen the bidding is said to have been spurred by the fact that Storage Technology Corp is now in sound financial health: DEC is said to have been particularly taken with StorageTek’s robotic library which is able to store and mount automatically as many as 6,000 cartridges. And in the third phase of the procurement, DEC is understood to be looking for low-profile rack-mounted 3480-compatible drives that typically cost $10,000 to $15,000. Several small companies are said to be potential contenders for this part of the procurement, including Aspen Peripherals – now under offer from StorageTek, this page – controller maker IntelliStor, and Laser Magnetic Storage, as well as StorageTek, Hitachi and Fujitsu – but DEC is not expected to start seeking tenders for these before 1990.

Content from our partners
How businesses can safeguard themselves on the cyber frontline
How hackers’ tactics are evolving in an increasingly complex landscape
Green for go: Transforming trade in the UK

Websites in our network
Select and enter your corporate email address Tech Monitor's research, insight and analysis examines the frontiers of digital transformation to help tech leaders navigate the future. Our Changelog newsletter delivers our best work to your inbox every week.
  • CIO
  • CTO
  • CISO
  • CSO
  • CFO
  • CDO
  • CEO
  • Architect Founder
  • MD
  • Director
  • Manager
  • Other
Visit our privacy policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.
THANK YOU