Spectra Logic has announced it was named the 2014 Storage Visions Awards’ Visionary Company in Media and Entertainment Storage for its introduction of the Deep Simple Storage Service (DS3), the industry’s first native RESTful interface to robotic tape storage systems.

Spectra Logic’s recently introduced BlackPearl Deep Storage Appliance was also recognized as a finalist in professional media and entertainment class storage.

“In October, we unveiled our vision for a low-cost, massively scalable ‘deep storage’ tier that can store data virtually forever. As part of that vision, we introduced the DS3 interface, which is the cornerstone for delivering deep storage solutions for customers grappling with cost-effective ways to store massive volumes of long term data,” says Nathan Thompson, Spectra Logic’s founder and CEO.

“Until now, modern applications using RESTful, object-based architectures could not directly access tape storage. DS3 allows data-intensive organizations to utilize the highest density, most cost-efficient storage for long-term data retention and accessibility.”

RESTful interfaces have gained acceptance as a simpler, easier-to-use interface design, as evidenced by the adoption of REST by mainstream Web 2.0 service providers such as Yahoo, Amazon and Facebook, as well as organisations that use RESTful interfaces as their preference to move data around the cloud.

By leveraging RESTful protocols, the DS3 interface enables modern architecture frameworks to easily and efficiently communicate with massively scalable deep storage technologies.

Spectra Logic’s BlackPearl Deep Storage Appliance supports the DS3 interface and was designed to meet the demands of extreme data growth and long-term retention. It is ideal for organizations such as those in media and entertainment where data is an integral asset within their operations.

BlackPearl allows data to move seamlessly into mass tape storage in a way not previously possible and enables users to deploy a tier of deep storage that is cost-effective, easy to manage and scalable to Exabytes of data.

“With BlackPearl’s simple, RESTful DS3 interface and embedded tape management software, organizations can confidently store all of their data virtually forever at a cost as low as pennies per Gigabyte,” adds Thompson.

“Spectra’s BlackPearl Deep Storage Appliance with its DS3 object-based interface is a significant addition to the cloud market that has the potential to change the way organisations of all sizes retain data indefinitely,” says Tom Coughlin, founder, Coughlin Associates.

“BlackPearl was recognized at this year’s Storage Vision conference as an innovative storage solution for cloud-based archiving. Its smooth integration into existing cloud environments and its ability to perform partial data object restores are significant advances for Media and Entertainment organisations.”

Coughlin’s recent coverage in Forbes.com on Spectra Logic’s new offerings is available here: The Objects Of Storage and When Archiving Takes To REST.

The 13th Annual Storage Visions Conference awards recognise companies advancing the state of the art in storage technologies utilized in consumer electronics, the media and entertainment industries, visionary products for the digital content value chain and digital storage media and entertainment end users.