Effective May 1, 2025, Dell has discontinued the sale of its low-end LTO tape products.

As a result, existing Dell customers will need to turn to alternative suppliers for their tape and tape media needs. Since Dell’s tape drives and libraries were based on IBM technology, IBM is the most logical choice.

Clients transitioning to IBM will find the products familiar, with no concerns about media compatibility or the need for retraining. IBM has long been recognized as a leader in tape technology, pioneering many of the key innovations that define the medium today. IBM’s commitment to tape remains strong.

To simplify the transition, the table below provides a clear side-by-side comparison to help you match your current Dell solution with the corresponding IBM offering.

Is LTO Dead?

LTO tape remains a reliable, energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for long-term data retention. It offers strong protection against data loss, lower carbon impact and longer media lifespan compared to disk. Many businesses still rely on it for data backup loss, archiving, legal holds and regulatory compliance. The future of tape is bright with LTO-10 just announced, and the LTO consortium recently extending its roadmap out to LTO-14.

IBM and Arrow are offering an additional discount on pricing for opportunities that were considering Dell LTO tape drives or a competitive LTO tape drive take-out.