UK LTO specialists · since 1994
LTO Tape, Drives & Tape Libraries
LTO-10 and LTO-9 media, tape drives, autoloaders and libraries from every major manufacturer — specified by people who have been building tape backup and archive systems for over 30 years.
Current LTO media · at a glance
| Cartridge | Native | Compressed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTO-10 40TB | 40 TB | 100 TB | New |
| LTO-10 | 30 TB | 75 TB | Current |
| LTO-9 | 18 TB | 45 TB | Current |
| LTO-8 | 12 TB | 30 TB | Current |
Both LTO-10 cartridges run in the same LTO-10 drive. LTO-9 drives read and write LTO-8. Compare LTO-9 vs LTO-10 →
What we supply
Everything you need to run LTO tape
Media, hardware and software from every major manufacturer, specified around your data — not a single vendor’s catalogue.
LTO Tapes
Genuine LTO-10, LTO-9, LTO-8 and older cartridges from every major brand, in any quantity, with barcode labelling on request.
Learn moreLTO Tape Drives
Half-height and full-height LTO drives for servers, workstations and libraries, with SAS, Fibre Channel or Thunderbolt connectivity from every major vendor.
Learn moreLTO Autoloaders
An autoloader adds a robot and a magazine of tapes to one or two LTO drives, so backups rotate automatically without anyone swapping cartridges.
Learn moreLTO Tape Libraries
Tape libraries automate backup and archive at scale, holding hundreds or thousands of cartridges with multiple LTO drives and built-in partitioning.
Learn moreLTFS
LTFS turns an LTO cartridge into a self-describing volume you can browse and drag files onto — no proprietary backup software needed to read it back.
Learn moreBackup Software
The right software is what turns storage into a recoverable backup or a searchable archive.
Learn moreWhy LTO tape
The lowest-cost, most secure place to keep a copy of everything
Disk and cloud are great for data you use every day. For the backup copy you hope never to need, and the archive you must keep for decades, LTO tape does the job at a fraction of the cost — and an offline cartridge is out of reach of ransomware.
- Lowest cost per terabyte of any storage medium, with no egress fees
- Air-gapped by design: a cartridge on a shelf cannot be encrypted by an attacker
- Hardware AES-256 encryption and WORM media for compliance
- Open standard with multiple manufacturers — no single-vendor lock-in
- Uses no power at rest, making tape the greenest tier for cold data
Compressed figures assume 2.5:1 compression; actual results depend on your data.
Shop by generation
LTO tape cartridges
Genuine media from Fujifilm, HPE, IBM, Quantum, Dell and Sony, in packs of 5 to 5,000 — with pre-printed barcode labels on orders of 20 or more.
LTO-10 Tape
LatestCurrent generation. Two capacities, one drive. No backward compatibility.
View LTO-10 TapeLTO-9 Tape
PopularReads and writes LTO-8. The most widely deployed generation today.
View LTO-9 TapeLTO-8 Tape
Works in LTO-8 and LTO-9 drives. Great value for existing estates.
View LTO-8 TapeLTO-7 Tape
For LTO-7 and LTO-8 drives. Still widely used in rotation.
View LTO-7 TapeLTO tape for backup & archive
Why UK organisations still rely on LTO tape
Data volumes roughly double every couple of years, and most of that data is rarely touched once it is written. Keeping all of it on primary disk or in a public cloud gets expensive fast — and a backup that sits online alongside production systems is exactly what ransomware looks for first.
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) tape solves both problems. A single LTO-10 cartridge holds up to 40TB of data natively, costs a fraction of the equivalent disk capacity, draws no power on the shelf and can be physically removed from the network. That is why LTO is the storage behind the backup and archive tiers of broadcasters, hyperscale cloud providers, NHS trusts, universities, research labs and defence organisations around the world.
Backup, archive and data interchange
Backup
Keep an offline, air-gapped copy of your servers and virtual machines on LTO, alongside your disk backup. If ransomware or a failed array takes out your primary copies, the tape copy is still there.
Archive
Move inactive data off expensive primary storage. LTO media is rated for 30 years of archive life, and WORM cartridges make records unalterable for compliance.
Data interchange
With LTFS, an LTO cartridge behaves like a large removable drive. Post-production and research teams use it to move tens of terabytes between sites faster than any network.
What we supply
Fortuna Data has supplied tape media and hardware since 1994. We are not tied to one manufacturer, so we recommend what fits your data, your budget and the equipment you already own:
- LTO tapes — LTO-10, LTO-9, LTO-8 and earlier
- LTO tape drives — internal, external and library drives
- Tape autoloaders — 8 to 24 slots in 1U or 2U
- Tape libraries — from 24 slots to thousands
- Pre-printed barcode labels, library packs and cases
- Backup and archive software
Brands we work with include Fujifilm, HPE, IBM, Quantum, Dell Technologies, Sony, Spectra Logic, Qualstar, Lenovo and Fsas Technologies. If you need tapes quickly, our tape quote configurator takes about a minute.
Which LTO generation should you buy?
For a new installation, LTO-10 gives you the most capacity per cartridge and the longest runway. Bear in mind that LTO-10 drives cannot read older tapes. If you have an LTO-8 archive to keep reading, or you are expanding an existing library, LTO-9 is often the better choice because it reads and writes LTO-8. Our LTO-9 vs LTO-10 comparison goes through the decision in detail.
| Generation | Native capacity | Compressed | Native speed | Reads / writes older tapes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTO-10 | 30 TB / 40 TB | 75 TB / 100 TB | 400 MB/s | No backward compatibility |
| LTO-9 | 18 TB | 45 TB | 400 MB/s | Reads & writes LTO-8 |
| LTO-8 | 12 TB | 30 TB | 360 MB/s | Reads & writes LTO-7 |
| LTO-7 | 6 TB | 15 TB | 300 MB/s | Writes LTO-6, reads LTO-5 |
Compressed capacities assume 2.5:1 compression. Actual results depend on your data.
Frequently asked questions
Is LTO tape still worth buying?
Yes. Tape capacity shipments keep reaching new records because LTO has the lowest cost per terabyte of any storage medium, lasts decades and gives you an offline copy that ransomware cannot reach. Most organisations use it alongside disk and cloud rather than instead of them.
How long does data last on LTO tape?
Manufacturers rate LTO media for up to 30 years of archive life when it is stored between 16–25°C at 20–50% relative humidity. We recommend keeping at least two copies in separate locations and spot-checking archives every few years.
Can an LTO-10 drive read my LTO-9 tapes?
No. LTO-10 drives do not read or write any earlier generation. If you need to keep reading LTO-8 or LTO-9 tapes, keep an LTO-9 drive in service or migrate the data. See our LTO compatibility guide.
Do you supply tapes in small quantities?
Yes. We supply anything from a single 5-pack to thousands of cartridges, and we can pre-print barcode labels on orders of 20 or more. Call 01256 331614 or use the tape configurator.
Learn more
LTO guides from our engineers
LTO-9 vs LTO-10
LTO-10 offers up to 2.2× the capacity of LTO-9 — but it cannot read older tapes. Here is how to decide which generation fits your data and your budget.
Read moreLTO-10 Specifications
Every LTO-10 figure in one place — capacity for both cartridge types, transfer rates, compatibility, security features and what changed from LTO-9.
Read moreLTO Roadmap
Every LTO generation’s capacity and speed, plus the future roadmap as revised by the LTO Program in November 2025.
Read moreRansomware & Tape
Ransomware targets your backups first. An offline copy on LTO tape is one of the few things an attacker on your network simply cannot reach.
Read moreLTO-9 Compatibility
LTO-9 changed the old “read two back, write one back” rule. Here is exactly which cartridges work in which drives — and how to plan an upgrade.
Read moreLTO FAQ
Straight answers to the questions we are asked most about LTO tape, drives and libraries. Can’t find yours? Call us on 01256 331614.
Read more