This IDC study analyzes and summarizes the market trends in the tape drive industry and its vendors, and it provides actual quarterly shipment data for 2004 and 2005. The study covers tape drive forecasts for revenue, shipment volume, and average sales values (ASVs) for 2006-2010 and summarizes various metrics (e.g., capacity, ASVs, and vendor shares) specific to each market segment. Finally, the study offers near-term and long-term expectations for demand, vendor execution, and industry dynamics, as well as suggested strategies for industry participants.

"We expect that removable disk backup products will likely put pressure on tape drives, particularly in the entry and low-end markets. However, we expect virtual tape libraries will augment midrange and enterprise tape drives, especially in tape libraries and automation. We believe the economics of high-capacity tape drives are well suited to deep-archive and information life-cycle management," said Robert Amatruda, research manager, Tape and Removable Storage, at IDC.