The Program Technology Provider Companies, including , , and Quantum Corp, reported that tape storage shipments reached 160.3 exabytes in 2025. While 2025 saw a 9% decline from the 176.5 exabytes shipped in 2024, Q1 2026 shipments rose 57% year-over-year.
Current LTO-9 technology supports 18TB native and 45TB compressed data. The new LTO-10 cartridges increase these limits to 40TB native and 100TB compressed. Quantum CEO Hugues Meyrath oversees these developments as the industry moves toward higher density media.
The LTO roadmap now extends to LTO-14, which is projected to offer 576TB of native capacity and 1,440TB of compressed storage per cartridge. This long-term trajectory ensures tape remains a critical component for managing massive enterprise data growth cycles.