Definition: HD-Rosetta

(High-Density-ROSETTA) An archival storage technology from Norsam Technologies, Inc., Santa Fe, NM. Available in different densities, a two-inch disc can hold up to 200,000 pages in analog form. Similar in concept to microfilm, but instead of film, HD-Rosetta content is "chiseled" into nickel using ion beams. Reading is accomplished by anyone with an ordinary microscope.

The name stands for the famous stone discovered near the town of Rashid (Rosetta) in the Egyptian delta in 1799. Written in 196 B.C. by Egyptian priests, this story of the pharaohs was told in hieroglyphics, demotic script and Greek. After years of analysis, it helped scholars finally understand the symbology of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Long Lasting Data

When data must be preserved for decades, the HD-ROSETTA discs offer a solution. This disc can hold up to 200,000 pages. (Image courtesy of Norsam Technologies, Inc.)