In this conversation, we break down the total cost of ownership over 5, 10, and 20-year horizons. We compare the major cloud cold storage tiers against a realistic on-premises tape library with disk cache, proper refresh cycles, and operational costs included. We also tackle the practical questions: When does repatriation actually make sense? What's the break-even point? How do you handle rehydration? And what about that egress fee—the half-million-dollar bill just to get your own data back?

For Nathan Thompson, the focus wasn’t on growth at all costs, it was about building  a legacy. Give every employee, even entry-level workers, stock options. "It's probably the only time in their life they'll own something like that," Nathan says. Treat customers like decade-long partners, not one-time transactions. Stay private. Stay focused. And build something that lasts.

The result? Spectralogic—a company that's remained 100% privately owned for over four decades, where employees share in the success they help create, and where customer relationships span generations.

In the late 1990s, Nathan Thompson faced a crossroads: his company was building both tape automation hardware AND backup software—competing with everyone in the market. The easy move? Sell the hardware and keep the high margin software business that employed much of his team.

Instead, Nathan did the opposite. He sold the software division to Sterling Software and bet everything on tape libraries.

When Nathan Thompson was 13, he bought a non-working pinball machine from a paper route customer and taught himself electronics by reverse-engineering every relay, switch, and stepper motor inside. That kid who couldn't afford a schematic became the founder of Spectra Logic—one of the world's leading data storage companies featuring LTO Technology.

From fixing arcade games in his bedroom to building memory boards in a Boulder basement, Nathan's journey proves that sometimes the best entrepreneurs start by simply refusing to accept that something can't be fixed.

Enjoy Part I of our CEO Series with Nathan Thompson of Spectra Logic.

Today, we're exploring how tape storage is becoming the unsung hero in the age of artificial intelligence, and today we welcome Tom Coughlin, CEO of Coughlin Associates, a leading storage consulting and market research firm. Tom is one of the foremost experts on storage technology trends, and he's been tracking the intersection of AI and storage infrastructure closely.

Today we welcome Tom Coughlin, CEO of Coughlin Associates, a leading analyst firm that's been tracking storage technology trends for years. Tom recently completed a comprehensive survey of the media and entertainment sector, and the results reveal some fascinating insights about how production facilities—from corporate video producers to Hollywood studios—are managing their storage challenges.

As we continue Part I of our End User series, entitled “It’s not all Backup”, we feature Carl Watts, Storage Architect and IT Specialist with the Library of Congress. Carl brings fresh perspectives for us today around long term content preservation and traditional views on backup and data archive.

In Part I of our End User series, entitled “It’s not all Backup”, we feature Carl Watts, Storage Architect and IT Specialist with the Library of Congress. Carl brings fresh perspectives for us today around long term content preservation and traditional views on backup and data archive.

This episode features Rich Gadomski, Director of Channel Sales and New Business Development at Fujifilm Data Storage Solutions. Rich is a true industry veteran with decades of experience evangelizing for tape and archive storage solutions, and he brings a unique perspective from one of the world's leading tape media manufacturers.