Geyser Data, Spectra Logic bring tape-as-a-service archive to London

Spectra Logic and Geyser Data have announced a tape-as-a-service (TaaS) archive deployment in London. 

Geyser Data is a provider of purpose-built cold data archiving services, with an existing Los Angeles deployment. It says it provides a cloud-based archived data copy with predictable pricing, giving existing tape library customers and new cloud users a way to store and retrieve long-term data without unexpected fees of the kind associated with some public cloud cold storage services.

Nelson Nahum, CEO of Geyser Data, said: "London is an important milestone because it demonstrates that tape-as-a-service can scale into new markets through a growing provider ecosystem." 

"Organizations are looking for archive infrastructure that is purpose-built for long-term cold data retention with predictable economics. At the same time, service providers want a practical way to deliver those capabilities locally. Expanding to London gives customers more geographic choice and validates that this model works."

Nahum was a co-founder, the original CEO, and chairman of the board at  Zadara. That company was founded in 2011 as Zadara Storage, offering block, file, and object storage as a service (STaaS). It later added compute and networking services, becoming a full-stack cloud provider. Nahum left toward the end of 2023 and founded Geyser Data in 2024.

Geyser is self-funded; no external funding has been announced.

Through this TaaS model, hosting providers can deploy archive infrastructure in their local markets while delivering the service through Geyser Data. Spectra Logic supplies the tape library infrastructure and core archive technologies, while Geyser Data provides the software and cloud platform that enable customers to access archive storage through an Amazon S3-compatible interface.

Spectra Logic CEO Nathan Thompson said: "Our tape library platforms and S3-compatible archive technologies power the underlying infrastructure that makes these deployments possible and give providers a proven foundation for delivering scalable cold data archiving."

Local service providers operate the infrastructure, channel partners can deliver archive services to customers in their regions, and end users gain more options for where their data resides.

The London deployment is hosted in a Digital Realty facility, providing a carrier-neutral interconnection environment. It has connectivity options designed to support enterprise archive workflows, hybrid architectures, and large-scale data movement.

Geyser recently announced a partnership in Brazil that is expected to bring another archive deployment online later this year, expanding its presence to three locations.

Customers can now archive data in either London or Los Angeles through the Geyser Data portal. A free 30-day trial with limited capacity is available for both locations. A Geyser Data user guide is available here.

Comment

This is one of those ideas that seem obvious – after you read about it. The most famous tape-based public cloud archive is AWS's Glacier, and Azure Archive is a similar archive-tier offering. French public cloud supplier OVH set up an Amazon Glacier-type service in France, working with IBM tape systems, in late 2022. It's available as the Cold Archive service. It appears Geyser Data is competing with this, but not operating its own datacenters, unlike OVH, and using Spectra Logic instead of IBM tape libraries. Its pitch is: "No hidden fees. No retrieval penalties. No API surprises. Just clear, predictable pricing built for scale."

Wasabi partners with Geyser Data for long-term data retention.