Stop the Spinning on Recycled Tape
Recycled tape media continues to grow in market share and acceptance,
and it has the manufacturers
worried - so much so that they continue to put
out marketing materials that are confusing and misleading. Graham Magnetics
produces the highest quality certified tape media on the market today,
and as such, we'll continue to set the record straight to keep you, the customer, informed.
Graham Magnetics is committed to providing the customer with a quality choice in order to give you a level playing field in the tape marketplace. It keeps the market place competitive, and offering choice requires that ALL tape providers work at providing a better quality product at the best possible price. Otherwise, monopolies emerge, and that results in high prices, low quality, and profiteering. Imagine the high prices and lack of variety you would see in the market place if you were not offered the chance to buy used homes, used cars, used furniture, used toner cartridges, or used anything.
Is it Used Tape? Recertified? Refurbished? Reconditioned?
Unfortunately, when you read the materials released by the tape manufacturers, you'll
see terms like Used, Reconditioned, Remanufactured, Refurbished, and Recertified are
used interchangeably when they represent completely different product types. As an example:
- Media that has been used to record and/or process data.
- These cartridges may or may not still contain customer recorded data.
- "Something" has been done to the media
- This media may have been degaussed, L&I'd (labeled and initialized), labels removed, tested (full length of only partially tested).
- These terms generally do not have published criteria and may often only include one of the many tests that are conducted by Graham Magnetics to provide truly certified media.
- Every tape has been full length tested.
- The data 100% eradicated.
- Meet or exceed industry standards normally used for new tape production.
- Published specifications and warranty are readily available for each media type offered.
Graham Certified™ vs. Used, Remanufactured, Refurbished, Etc.
We agree that you have to be informed when buying in the Used tape market. You should
always determine exactly what testing and degaussing procedures are adhered to by the
vendor and make sure that the media has met or exceeded acceptable error level criteria.
Improper testing and degaussing can result in tape media that has security and functionality
issues such as low signal-to-noise ratio, short archival life, and damage from mishandling
or improper storage conditions.
As tape cartridge capacities have increased, it has become increasingly important to ensure that cartridges are degaussed properly to ensure that all data is completely erased. A degausser that is too weak will not destroy all of the data on the cartridge. For example, only a degausser with a high degaussing force will completely erase a high capacity DLT IV tape cartridge and the cartridge must be passed through several times in order to fully eradicate the data.
Testing of used cartridges in the certification process should be performed on original manufacturers' drives and evaluation equipment. This ensures that the certified media error levels meet or exceed the original manufacturer's performance criteria. Knowledge and expertise in the production of new tape media is critical as the testing procedures for new and certified tape are identical.
With Graham Magnetics, we use the term Certified for very good reasons!- We have a 10 year warranty on all of our Graham Certified™ media.
- We were a manufacturer of media for over 40 years.
- All Graham Certified™ media is tested to compete with NEW tape performance criteria.
- All Graham Certified™ Media is 100% tested unlike many new tapes which are often only batch tested*.
*If your new tape fails or you're unhappy with the performance, send it to us, and we'll replace it for FREE with a sample of 10 Graham Certified™ tapes of the same type.
- All Graham Certified™ magnetic media is identified with our Graham Certified™ stamp on the back for easy recognition.
Graham Certified™ 25605
- All media is either degaussed (erasing all remnants of data from the tape) or completely overwritten, full length, every bit position, which removes all existing data.
- We test every piece of media offered using our proprietary software that ensures the error rates to be significantly better than published standards for new media.
- We provide 100% certification on actual tape drives for that media type.
Correcting the Record
Data Protection and Sarbanes-Oxley
Many new tape manufacturers will state that selling your used media puts you at risk of not
meeting your internal Sarbanes-Oxley control evaluations because your important data may not be erased.
WE AGREE!
Removing the data is one of the most important steps in the certification process. Graham employs two methods in our certification process to protect your valuable data.
1) If degaussing is possible without damaging the tape, we use a degausser with a high
degaussing force that will completely erase a high capacity tape.
2) If degaussing is not possible, we re-write over the existing data, full length and
every bit position.
For those who need that extra assurance, we'll even perform the service at your site (9840 media only). We'll bring our equipment to your facility to perform the data overwrite part of our certification process under your scrutiny so no tapes/data ever leaves your control. This will allow you to audit the tapes to ensure that your top safety and security measures are strictly adhered to throughout our process.
And a certificate of data destruction is always provided.
Unknown Cartridge History and No Warranty
Many new tape manufacturers will try to make the case that there is no known history for
certified tapes and that you could introduce unforeseen risks into the IT department.
In addition, you'd have no technical service support or warranty coverage.
WRONG!
Typically manufacturers state in their specifications that media exposed to environments outside of recommended specs can still be used if re-acclimatized. This strikes us as contradictory, and in any event if there is damage on the tape, it is identified during our 100% certification process, and this product is not sold through the Graham Certified™ program. Furthermore, nearly all new media carries a "Lifetime" warranty. So, if these tapes are said to be worthless after just a few short years of use, who's lifetime are the cartridges warranted for by the manufacturer?
Regardless, our customers receive unlimited technical support as well as a 10 year warranty from Graham Magnetics for every certified cartridge sold by Graham Magnetics. Once a population of tape cartridges used or new has been through Grahams certification process, the error levels of the tape population will be lower, regardless of the age of the cartridges. Our process is that good!
Just The Facts
With Graham Certified™ Media you get:- A 10 year warranty -- Although it's rare, we'll not only replace the tape but diagnose the root problem and advise on corrective measures.
- ALL data is erased -- either degaussed or overwritten full length every bit position and a signed Data Destruction Certificate will be supplied by Graham Magnetics
- ALL Graham Certified™ Media is tested to meet NEW tape performance criteria.
- ALL Graham Certified™ is 100% tested unlike new tape, which is often only batch tested.
- ALL Graham Certified™ magnetic media is marked with our Graham Certified™ stamp and the date processed for easy recognition and warranty information.
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- You save money by buying Graham Certified™ media or earn revenue by selling idle resources -- INTELLIGENT ASSET MANAGEMENT
- You're participating in a recycling program.
Once you get through the fog of misinformation and truly analyze the facts, we believe you'll only come to one conclusion…Graham Certified™ Tape is a secure and reliable way to contribute greatly to the cost-effective operation of your company's bottom-line.
Graham Certified™ Media 10-year Warranty
eMag warrants to the initial end-user purchaser that Graham Certified™ Tape Cartridges are and shall remain
free from manufacturing defects under normal use for the period of time defined above. If this product
fails to meet eMag's published specifications during this warranty period, eMag's sole liability and the
purchaser's exclusive remedy shall be replacement of the product upon receipt by eMag of the defective product.
This warranty is made in lieu of all other warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to the
implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Neither eMag nor anyone else who
has been involved in the sale or delivery of this product shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental,
special or consequential damages (including damages for loss of profits, revenues, or business and the like) in
any way related to the use of this product, even if eMag has been informed of the possibilities of such damages.
The foregoing language cannot be waived, modified, or supplemented in any manner whatsoever except in writing
signed by authorized officers of eMag. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other
rights that vary from state to state and from country to country.
Graham Magnetics
Graham Magnetics, located in Graham, Texas, began its operations in 1966. Graham has enjoyed a long history in the
manufacture of world class tape media storage products including such recognized brands as Graham, StorageMaster,
and Memorex. Most recently Graham was the last manufacturer of open reel (9-track) tape in the media world.
Graham Magnetics Today
Today, Graham Magnetics still manufactures tape media storage products, but we now recycle and certify tape media
and cleaning cartridges. Graham is actively involved in helping our customers protect and conserve the environment.
Graham Certified™ media is not only good for the environment and lower costing, but it is tested on OEM tape drives and test
equipment using methods that were often employed in the 100% certification of newly manufactured tape. In addition,
we provide tape media services including conversion, recovery, destruction and labeling and initialization. Contact
us today to learn more about how Graham Magnetics can help reduce your data center costs.
Contact us today to learn more.