HP DAT drives are based on the Digital Data Storage (DDS) format. In fact, DAT is the most successful tape backup technology of all time with more than 18 million DAT drives shipped since its introduction in 1989, and with a current world-wide installed base of over 6 million drives. A number of vendors manufacture DDS format DAT drives, but HP has long been the market leader in DAT technology.

This remarkable tape technology continues to flourish because of its ability to meet the needs of the Small and Medium Business (SMB) market for reliable, cost-effective backup better than any other technology available.

The HP family of DAT drives is the first choice for data protection for many small and medium businesses with low-end and mid-range servers and workstations. HP DAT drives are also frequently used for operating system backup and software loading on mission-critical servers in many large enterprises.