Imation Heritage: 50+ Years of Data Storage

Time travel

3M Data Storage was formed in the early 1950s to develop storage media for IBM tape drives. In 1996, 3M's Imaging & Information business was spun off to become Imation. Today, Imation is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of magnetic and optical removable data storage media, with more than 250 US patents on data storage media technology!

Join us for a review of some of the major milestones in data storage media technologies:

2006

• Unveiled fresh & vibrant new look and packaging for the consumer range of products
• Launched unique T.A.P.E program and services to improve data centre efficiencies
• Collaborated with Sun Microsystems on Storage Technologies

2005

• Extended range of popular Swivel Flash Drives to meet growing demand of business users & tech enthusiasts
• Announced to manufacture T10000 Media: deepening of our partnership with the new Sun-StorageTek joint-venture
• Strategic Partnership with Trek 2000
• Launch innovative padlock Micro Hard Drive device
• Partner Sun-StorageTek to manufacture T10000 Media
• Extended Exabyte partnership beyond media to deliver tape drives and libraries in Asian Market

2004

• Shipped Imation DAT 72 Data Cartridges
• Announced Availability of IBM Brand 3592 Tape Cartridges
• Launched World's First Terabyte-Class Magnetic Tape Manufacturing Facility in Weatherford, Oklahoma
• Honored by United Space Alliance as Critical Supplier to US Space Program
• Named One of 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Business Ethics Magazine for Second Consecutive Year
• Introduced Tera Ångstrom Technology for the Development of Terabyte-Class Tape Media
• Expanded Global Service Network with Two Regional Technical Centers
• Launched Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive to meet growing demand of business users & tech enthusiasts
• Launched colorful pre-designed Thematic CD-R to enhance users' experience
• Introduced Disc Stakka - the future of CD and DVD storage and content management
• First to ship LTO/Ultrium 3 Tape Cartridges

2003

• Created Joint Venture Company with Moser Baer for Optical Storage Media
• Exclusive worldwide distributor of Exabyte media products
• Launched SLR75 and SLR140 to address small business backup needs
• Introduced Business Select™ Optical Media, specifically designed for the business environment
• Introduced Imation LTO Ultrium 2 cartridges for Ultrium Generation 2 drives

2002

• Introduced Travan™ 40GB in partnership with industry leading OEMs including Seagate, IBM, and Dell
• Introduced Black Watch™ Super DLTtape™ Cartridges
• Four plants operational producing media in Tucson, Camarillo, Wahpeton and Weatherford
• Expanded DVD portfolio to include all formats
• Imation DataPlay™ digital media launched

2001

• Introduced Black Watch Generation 1 LTO/Ultrium™ tape cartridges
• Introduced Black Watch™ DLTtape™ Cartridges
• Black Watch DLTtape™ introduced with less abrasivity and higher durability than ANSI and ECMA standards

2000

• 3590E tape cartridge co-developed with IBM
• 9940 half-inch MP tape co-developed with StorageTek

1999

• 9490EE tape cartridge co-developed with StorageTek
• DVD-RAM added to Imation line

1998

• Introduced Black Watch 9840 tape cartridge co-developed with StorageTek

1996

• Introduced SD-3 half-inch tape cartridges for StorageTek RedWood Tape Servers

1995

• 3590 tape cartridges co-developed with IBM
• Travan 1, 2, and 3 introduced as new storage initiatives for smaller businesses and entry level applications

1994

• Introduced FlashGard™ weld for 3480 and 3490E cartridge shells, establishing a new industry standard for a stronger, break-resistant cartridge

1993

• Introduced 5.25" 1.3GB 2X magneto-optical rewriteable media

1992

• SLR data cartridges introduced

1991

• Introduced first 1.35GB capacity tape with the Magnus™ line of 1/4" data cartridges
• Introduced 3490 cartridge co-developed with IBM

1988

• Introduced 5.25" 650MB ISO Standard Rewriteable Optical Recording Media

1986

• Introduced a back-coated Black Watch IBM 3480-compatible cartridge with 200MB capacity

1985

• First commercial rewriteable magneto-optical disc demonstrated
• Introduced commercial CD-ROM media

1984

• Introduced 3.5" diskettes

1982

• First high-density 5.25" diskette available

1977

• Leading supplier of 8" and 5.25" diskettes

1975

• Mini data cartridge developed with Hewlett Packard

1971

• First quarter-inch data cartridge introduced

1970

• Black Watch 700 half-inch computer tape with proprietary back-coating introduced

1967

• Introduced first disk packs for use in IBM rigid disk drives

1957

• Introduced double-play magnetic tape using a thinner, pre-stretched polyester backing

1954

• Doubled recording capacity and transfer speed with the introduction of a computer tape with densities of 200 BPI

1953

• Introduced the world's first computer tape with 1MB capacity

1952

• Delivered world's first computer tape to IBM for use with IBM 726 tape drive
  
  
  Imation, the Imation logo, and Travan are trademarks of Imation Corp. Black Watch is a trademark licensed to Imation. All other trademarks are used for identification purposes only and are the property of their owners.