Group 47, Inc.

Group 47 was formed for the primary purpose of making available the technology and patents that form the basis of a digital storage technology called DOTS. DOTS™ is the only digital storage designed to be read with a camera employing standard image processing techniques. Data is recorded visually on patented phase-change metal alloy tape at a microscopic density that rivals the capacity of current magnetic tapes. DOTS™ can record data, visible text, and imagery on the same media. Using a visible method to represent the data ensures, as long as cameras and imaging devices are available, the information will always be recoverable. DOTS™ is archival for no less than 100 years. It is non-magnetic, chemically inert, immune to electromagnetic fields (including EMP), and can be stored in normal office environments or extremes ranging from -9º to 66º C (16º to 150º F) removing significant challenges and costs found in magnetic media. DOTS™ is Write-Once Read Many storage, Tamper Proof, cannot be erased, and supports external compression and data encryption, making it a secure and robust archive technology.