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_____IBM Chip Will Double Storage Data Transfer Speeds_____
IBM announced yesterday that it has developed chips that
double the speed of its Serial Storage Architecture. The new
chips, called SSA 160, are meant to encourage customers
using IBM's 7133 SSA disk subsystem to stay on the SSA
platform.
The prototype SSA 160 semiconductors are capable of sending
data between storage devices and processing units at speeds
of up 160 Mbps, twice as fast than the current top speeds of
80 Mbps. IBM says it will ship SSA 160 products next year
and will open the technology up to other companies.
Analysts say the announcement--as early in the game as
it is--is sparked by the increase in storage devices that
rely on Fibre Channel, SSA's rival storage communications
standard. "This is a preemptive move by IBM to say that SSA
is here to stay," says Anders Lofgren, an analyst with Giga
Information Group in Cambridge, Mass. "This keeps people
worrying about what IBM's up to from moving over to
Fibre Channel."--Jeff Sweat
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