NS&I Systems Services Co, a joint venture between Nippon Steel Co and IBM Japan, has started marketing a tape-handling robot developed by Nippon Steel Co: the robot is designed for mounting and demounting tape cartridges on the IBM 3480 tape drive posing a threat to Storage Technology Corp’s tape library system that has been cleaning up in the US with IBM users – and is being offered in Japan with the tape transport for around $450,000; in its first year of operation last year, NS&I, which looks to operate mainly in the growing market for IBM’s AS/400, did good business, with annual sales of some $38m, but is still seeking to establish an identity.
