AIT backup tapes are made to store data efficiently and in large quantities. The SCSI technology that AIT backup tapes incorporate help to maximize data transfer to and from the host system at a burst rate of 160 MB/sec. Data can be transferred from the AIT data tapes at a data transfer rate of 24 MB/sec and with a capacity of a minimum of 50 GB going up to 1040 GB for AIT-5 makes AIT tapes a great solution for data backup. The AIT format was developed and is controlled by Sony. One great advantage of AIT backup tapes is that they have backward and forward compatibility. AIT backup tapes are also formulated using AME (Advanced Metal Evaporated). It also has features like MIC (Memory in Cassette) memory chip, and R-MIC (Remote - Memory In Cassette) in the more recent generations of AIT tapes, that keep relevant information about the data tape cartridge. The AIT data backup tapes WORM (Write Once Read Many) functionality is also useful for archive keeping. AIT tapes are not only made by Sony but also by HP (Hewlett-Packard). Sony faces competition for AIT tapes mainly from DLT, LTO, DAT and VXA tapes format. There are the following types of versions and products available for AIT tapes: AIT-1, AIT-2, AIT-3, AIT-4, AIT-5, AIT-1 Turbo, AIT Cleaning Cartridge, AIT Barcode Labels and AIT Empty Cases.
