Sepaton's tape library de-duplication guarantee

Guarantees are getting popular. De-duplicating virtual tape library supplier Sepaton is offering a simple 40:1 de-duplication efficiency guarantee with few restrictions compared to NetApp's 50 per cent savings guarantee.

Here's the full guarantee description:

Sepaton guarantees that the FastStart Plus De-duplication Package will reduce the capacity of backup data at a 40:1 ratio under the following conditions: Guarantee only applies to currently GA backup applications with Microsoft Exchange 2003 and 2007 Agent, Oracle 10 and 11 using flat files or RMAN. The package must be installed and configured by a Sepaton Professional Services representative. The customer must follow Sepaton best practices including performing full backups of applicable data at least five times per week for thirty days.

Thirty days after the FastStart Plus De-duplication Package is put into full production at the customer site, the system will deliver a capacity reduction ratio of at least 40:1 (including hardware compression) on applicable data types as measured by the “View Backups” screen in the DeltaStor System Management Console. If the FastStart Plus Deduplication Package fails to deliver the 40:1 capacity reduction ratio in 30 days as provided above, as shown by reasonable evidence, Sepaton will provide the customer with an additional disk shelf plus DeltaStor licensing valued at over $50,000 at no charge provided that the FastStart Plus Deduplication Package is in production by December 31, 2008. Sepaton reserves the right to audit the customer environment to verify its capacity reduction ratio. This offer is only valid through December 15, 2008.

Seems straightforward and fair enough. I wonder if EMC, Data Domain, FalconStor, FalconStor OEMs, IBM, and Quantum will follow suit? ®