Komprise & Spectra Logic launch tape tiering for AI

Komprise has partnered with Spectra Logic to offer data tiering from primary storage to tape for enterprises managing growing volumes of unstructured data.

The joint offering combines Komprise data analysis and indexing with Spectra's BlackPearl Object Gateway, which provides S3-compatible access to disk and tape storage. Under the setup, inactive data is identified and moved off primary storage while remaining accessible from its original location.

The partnership comes as businesses face higher storage costs and growing pressure to retain and search data for artificial intelligence use. Komprise pointed to rising enterprise SSD prices and stronger interest in tape as a lower-cost option for long-term retention.

Spectra's gateway is designed to manage disk and tape behind the scenes, so applications do not need to handle tape directly. Komprise said its software preserves file metadata, permissions and attributes when files are tiered as native objects, aiming to avoid proprietary formats and reduce the need to move data back onto primary storage.

Both companies are pitching the offering as a response to IT teams' need to control storage budgets while keeping data searchable for AI projects. Komprise said its assessment tool analyses file and object storage usage before any data is moved, identifies inactive data and models potential cost savings. It also indexes and classifies information for later search and curation.

Cost pressure

The partnership comes against a backdrop of tighter enterprise storage budgets. Organisations are dealing with continued growth in unstructured data, pressure on flash memory supply and the need to retain large datasets that may still have value for analytics and AI, even if they are rarely accessed.

Tape has re-emerged in some enterprise storage strategies as a cheaper medium for archival and cold data. Spectra and Komprise are seeking to capitalise on that shift by presenting tape not as an isolated archive, but as part of a broader data management system that keeps older data visible and searchable.

Customers can apply different tiering policies to different departments or datasets and automate movement across very large file estates, the companies said. The combined system can also support encryption, object lock immutability and air-gapped tape protection in supported configurations.

Komprise added that data moved to lower-cost infrastructure can still be used in AI and analytics workflows through its Smart Data Workflows and Universal File MCP tools. That reflects a broader trend in enterprise IT, where historical data once kept mainly for compliance is now being reassessed as a potential input for model training, retrieval or analysis.

David Feller, Chief Technology Officer of Spectra Logic, outlined the rationale for the partnership. "Archive storage delivers compelling economics for data that organizations need to retain but rarely access, and AI is giving that data new value," said Feller. "BlackPearl Object Gateway brings Spectra storage into an S3-compatible architecture, while Komprise moves the right data off costly primary storage and keeps it searchable for AI."

Komprise presented the partnership as a way for enterprises to extend the life of expensive primary storage systems rather than replace them. By moving cold data away from flash and other premium storage, IT teams can free capacity and delay additional purchases during a period of elevated prices and longer procurement cycles.

Joint sales

The joint solution is available through both companies and authorised channel partners. That approach gives Komprise and Spectra access to customers seeking to link storage cost control with data preparation for AI, rather than treating them as separate projects.

Krishna Subramanian, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Komprise, said the storage mix many enterprises have built up over time is no longer sustainable if rarely used data remains on the most expensive systems. "Enterprises should not have to keep years of inactive cold data on their most expensive storage," said Subramanian. "By combining Komprise analytics, data indexing and transparent, file-level tiering with Spectra Logic storage, we help customers make their primary-storage investments go further while keeping data accessible and AI ready without lock-in."