Fujifilm intros GPS-based Tape Tracker to prevent data mishandling

It would only take one case of having your precious data "mishandled" while in transit to spend some dough on a tracking mechanism for future shipments, and while we've certainly seen a number of options in the past, Fujifilm's alternative is quite clever in its own right. The recently announced Tape Tracker takes the form of a standard 0.5-inch data tape cartridge, but rather than housing gigabytes of sensitive material, it hides a GPS system that enables data managers to "monitor important data assets in real-time or locate misplaced / stolen tapes instantly." Furthermore, users of the device will have access to a secure, web-based application (aptly dubbed FujiFind) that can track several data tape shipments simultaneously, even through rural areas, within vehicles and inside warehouses. No word on a price just yet, but those willing to pay anything for peace of mind can look forward to a Q1 2008 release.

[Via SpaceMart]

[Jason @ Nov 9th 2007 7:49AM]

Cute idea, but most places I've worked the tapes get put in thick-walled metal boxes before leaving the facility and don't come out again until they're returned.

Now, you can probably design something to broadcast out of that metal box, but do you really want that much EM right next to all your backup tapes?

[Mike @ Nov 9th 2007 8:36AM]

I used to work for FujiFilm and I mailed large sets of tapes all over the place on private FF trucks and public shipping and we never put tapes in metal boxes just cardboard, there is no need to encase a tape in metal for shipping cause the tapes are rigid and in plastic cases. I think the situation you are describing may be unique to your company.

Now when STORING data, that is different. Fire-proof safes are used, but no one mails fire-proof safes.

[Broo @ Nov 9th 2007 10:01AM]

I had the same question; our tapes must be secured in a locked, serialized metal box before the courier (for Iron Mountain/Arcus Data) will accept them- I don't see how the GPS would work in that scenario.

This sounds more like something that you would use to track tapes sent via FedEx/UPS.

[Adam @ Nov 9th 2007 9:09AM]

Absolutely ridiculous. Why put additional cost into every tape and failure prone electronics, when the person who has the tape, even if you TRACK THEM DOWN, has already read the data?

ENCRYPT data at rest and in motion and you're much better off than tracking unsecure data.

[Grizz @ Nov 9th 2007 1:20PM]

It's not in every tape. Its a fake tape, tracking beacon. Just like the one they slip into bank robbers bundles.

You buy one and toss it in with the rest, it stores no data.

[Mark @ Nov 9th 2007 11:25AM]

No one loses a shipment of tapes, they misplace 1 tape.

[James @ Nov 9th 2007 12:08PM]

I'm thinking of incidents like that time the VA lost a whole shipment of backup tapes that had vets' SSNs on them, maybe about a year ago? I'll be surprised if there's not a mandate to have every gov't agency using these by this time next year.

@Jason: the coercivity (amount of magnetic force required to change) of mag tapes these days is astonishingly high, besides which the RF transmissions from the tracker's antenna should not impart significant EM forces, if they design it right.

@Adam: sure, encrypt the data, but if you aren't going to -- or if your process is broken and an unencrypted tape gets out accidentally -- it's not a bad idea to have "defense in depth" like this. At least if you can find the tapes again, maybe you could catch whoever took them before they have a chance to use/abuse the data.

[Russell @ Nov 10th 2007 12:29AM]

encryption + tracking + redundancy = total win.