"...Plasmon has announced the roadmap for 12-inch optical TrueWORM technology products that would extend capacity of its drives and media from the current 30GB to 240 GB per disc by the year 2005. Simultaneously, FileNET announced its commitment to support the future products planned through its Panagon software and OSAR libraries. Plasmon, the leading provider of removable data storage products, plans to release the next generation 60 GB drives and single layer media by mid-2002, move to 120 GB and dual layer media by the end of 2003 and 240 GB by mid-2005.

The technology supporting these large capacity gains is based on implementing violet lasers. Due to the shorter wave length of violet lasers as compared to red lasers used with DVD and CD optical recording today, there is a 2.6 X improvement in areal density -- narrowing the gap between the media's pits and lands.

Plasmon is also developing dual layer media, which will bring the second major capacity gain. By 2005 Plasmon will reduce the thickness of the cover layer on the glass substrate from 1.2 mm to 0.1 mm and incorporate a process that uses dual actuator lenses to allow backward read compatibility, which is used in DVD-ROM drives to read CD-ROM media..." NULL