Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. said Monday they plan to launch next-generation optical discs for business use in summer 2015 under their joint standard, with the aim of taking a global lead in the market for long-term digital data storage.
The two electronics companies aim to initially launch systems with a recording capacity of 300 gigabytes per disc and then expand the capacity to 500 GB and 1 terabyte under the new standard called Archival Disc based on the Blu-ray disc format.
Optical discs are suitable for long-term storage of content due to such features as self-protection against dust and water, as well as their capability of withstanding changes in temperature and humidity when data are stored, according to the companies.
The two have been jointly developing the standard as demand for archival capability has increased significantly in the film and broadcasting industry and the cloud data business that handles large volumes of data, they said.