Storage giant EMC has unveiled a set of enhancements to its disk-based backup offerings, aimed at making them more competitive with tape alternatives.

EMC used its user conference in Las Vegas to showcase its latest range of backup devices using data de-duplication technology and low-power drives.

EMC's new Disk Library (DL) 3D 1500 offers 36TB of storage, while the larger DL 000 model has a 148TB capacity and will ship later this month. Both feature de-duplication technology that can be tailored to customers' backup schedules, providing greater flexibility.

“It means you can do de-duplication on a scheduled basis, immediately [during the backup process] or whenever you want, depending on the needs of the customer," saidDavid Donatelli, president of the storage division at EMC.

De-duplication allows businesses to minimise the amount of duplicate information they store.

EMC also unveiled its DL 4000, which introduces a spin-down option for its disk drives. This puts the 5400rpm 1TB unit into sleep mode, reducing power consumption. “The idea is to combine spin down with disk drives to reduce power by up to 40 per cent,” added Donatelli.

The DL 4000 will ship by the end of July, and the energy efficient features will also be offered as a free upgrade to existing customers.

These virtual disk libraries use data de-duplication licensed from Quantum, which is capable of reducing either the amount of data sent across the network (known as "inline de-dupe"), or stripping out duplicate data on the storage device (post-processing de-dupe).

But EMC also announced updates to its own de-duplication technology Avamar – which is only capable of post-processing de-dupe.

Avamar Data Store Gen 2 features an updated version of its source-based data de-duplication software running on a pre-configured, EMC-certified hardware platform. According to EMC, it will be able to store roughly 250 daily full backups of 32 TBs of file system data.

Finally EMC introduced NetWorker Fast Start for midsize organizations. Networker Fast Start should make storage easier, said Donatelli. It contains wizards that will discover customers’ environment with wizards to reduce installation time and complexity.

EMC said the enhancements made to its backup product portfolio are intended to ease the management of the rapid growth in information businesses are having to cope with. “Peoples’ information continues to grow around 60 per cent per year,” announced Donatelli, adding, “By 2011, people will have to manage 10 times more information than they need to manage now.”

Other storage firms have also been ramping up their data de-duplication efforts. Data Domain recently launching its data de-duplication tool, the DD690, which dramatically increased throughput. Earlier this month, IDM acquired data de-duplication vendor Diligent Technologies for £102m ($200m).