Fujitsu, one of the leading suppliers of hard drives and computer peripherals, today unveiled its next generation of low-profile, high-speed and high-capacity hard disk drive (HDD) products designed specifically for high-performance enterprise computing and emerging market applications.

The new Fujitsu MAP and MAS series feature spindle speeds of 10K RPM and 15K RPM, respectively, delivering capacities of up to 147GB in a 1-inch-high, 3.5-inch form factor. Compared with previous generation models, areal density has been doubled and internal data transfer rates have been increased by 25% (MAP Series) to 28% (MAS Series).

Technical Highlights

The new MAP Series from Fujitsu consists of three new 10K RPM hard drives featuring capacities of 36, 73, and 147GB. The MAS Series, with 15K RPM spindle speed, includes 18, 36 and 73GB capacity points. Both series are equipped with an 8MB, multi-segmented data buffer combined with a 32-bit-wide internal data path for faster data access.

In addition, both new series support Ultra320 SCSI (320MB/s) interface, which boasts new performance and reliability enhancing features, such as data packet protocol, quick arbitration and selection, and signal pre-compensation. The MAP drives also support 2Gb FC-AL2 interface.

Fujitsu has substantially increased the maximum internal data transfer rate with these two new enterprise drive series. With 114MB/s on the MAS Series and 107MB/s on the MAP Series, transfer rates have increased by 28 percent and 25 percent over previous drives, respectively.

Moreover, using Fujitsu's Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) technology for its 15K products and four-platter, 10K RPM product, acoustic output has been remarkably reduced to 3.6 Bels and 3.4 Bels in ready mode, respectively.

"Fujitsu officially became the world's second largest supplier of enterprise-class HDDs in the first calendar quarter of 2002," said Mitsuhiro Okada, senior director of market development, storage products. "Today's announcement further sharpens Fujitsu's focus on gaining a stronger market position in the enterprise hard disk drive market with significant growth projected in the years ahead."

Availability

MAP Series qualification units will be available for OEM customers in July 2002, followed by MAS Series qualification units in September 2002.