SQS

What SQS does

SQS Limited is a privately held UK company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, that specialises in refurbished tape-based data storage hardware. Its catalogue spans tape media and cartridges, individual tape backup drives across multiple legacy and current formats (DAT, LTO, DLT, 8mm, AIT, QIC, SDLT, SLR, VXA, RDX), and automated tape libraries and autoloaders from manufacturers including HP, IBM, Quantum, Sony, and Exabyte. The company also operates a dedicated tape drive repair service via tape-drive-repair.com, offering quick turnaround, advance exchange, and warranty-backed fixes.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer supplemented by telephone-based pre-sales and technical support from in-house engineers during UK business hours. All hardware is sold refurbished with a six-month warranty; pricing ranges from approximately £20 for entry-level drives to over £1,395 for tape libraries, with tape media starting at £1,000. Distribution is exclusively through the company's own website with next-day UK shipping, with no third-party resellers or international channels identified.

SQS is privately held with no institutional investors or funding rounds disclosed, operates as a micro-business of 1-10 employees, and serves a fragmented base of UK customers who need to maintain, replace, or expand legacy and current tape backup infrastructure. Its stated value proposition combines cost-efficient refurbished equipment, technical expertise, and warranty coverage for organisations running tape-based archival and backup workflows.

Name

SQS

Legal name

SQS Limited

Website

https://sqsonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SQS Limited is a UK-based, privately held specialist retailer founded in 1998 that sells refurbished tape storage hardware (drives, libraries, media) and repair services direct to consumers and SMBs maintaining legacy and current tape backup infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Storage Hardware

NAICS

Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112)

SIC

Computer Storage Devices (3572)

akta.pro primary industry

Tape Storage Systems & Media (LTO, Libraries, Autoloaders) (HDACACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tape Storage & Tape Libraries (HDABAEAK), Magnetic Tape Media & Drives (LTO/Linear Tape) (HDACAIAF)

Keywords

• Tape storage hardware
• Refurbished tape drives
• Data backup equipment
• Tape library systems
• Storage media cartridges

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: SQS generates revenue through the sale of refurbished tape drives, tape libraries, and data storage equipment. Customers purchase physical hardware products through their e-commerce platform with pricing ranging from entry-level drives at £20-£100 to professional tape libraries at £795-£1,395. The company also offers tape media cartridges starting at £1000 for quality media.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SQS Limited is a UK-based data storage specialist that sells refurbished tape storage hardware including tape backup drives (DAT, LTO, DLT, 8MM, AIT, QIC, SDLT, SLR, VXA, RDX, ZIP), automated tape libraries, autoloaders, and tape media cartridges from manufacturers such as HP, IBM, Quantum, Sony, and Exabyte. The company also offers a tape drive repair service with quick turnaround and advanced exchange options, plus operating system software for storage management. All refurbished products ship with a 6-month warranty and are backed by free telephone technical support.

Product overview

SQS is a UK-based data storage specialist company operating since 1998, offering a comprehensive portfolio of refurbished tape storage hardware. The core offering consists of tape media and cartridges (HP, Exabyte, Maxell), tape backup drives (DAT, LTO, DLT, 8MM, AIT, QIC, SDLT, SLR, VXA, RDX, ZIP), and automated tape libraries. Supporting services include professional tape drive repair with quick turnaround and advance exchange options. The company also stocks software operating systems for storage management. SQS focuses exclusively on refurbished equipment with 6-month warranty and free telephone technical support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tape Backup Drives Refurbished tape backup drives in multiple formats (8MM, DAT, LTO, DLT, AIT, QIC, SDLT, SLR, VXA, RDX, ZIP) from manufacturers including HP, IBM, Quantum, Sony, Seagate, Conner, and Exabyte, with capacities ranging from 2GB to multi-terabyte. Sold with technical support for configuration.
• Tape Libraries Automated tape library systems for enterprise backup and archival storage, including IBM 3576/TS3310 5U tape library base units, sold refurbished for organizations needing automated multi-cartridge storage.
• Autoloaders Automated tape autoloaders with multiple cartridge slots for hands-free backup operations, sold refurbished to customers running smaller-scale automated backup environments.
• Tape Media & Cartridges Refurbished and new tape media cartridges from HP, Exabyte, Maxell, and other brands for use in tape backup drives and libraries, with quality media starting at £1000.
• Tape Drive Repair Service Professional repair service for tape drives including quick turnaround, same-day despatch, advance exchange, and warranty options for customers whose drives have failed.
• Storage Software (Operating Systems) Operating system software products for data storage and tape drive management, offered alongside the hardware catalog.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• IBM: Manufactures the TS-series tape libraries (e.g., TS3310/TS4500) that SQS lists as individual products. IBM is a broad incumbent with enterprise tape as one of many data-center offerings, while SQS specializes.
• Oracle (StorageTek): Owns the StorageTek tape library line (SL-series) targeting large enterprise archival workloads. Competes indirectly through the channel that SQS also taps into via refurbished enterprise library sales.
• Fujifilm: Major manufacturer of LTO tape media cartridges (a category SQS sells at scale). Comparable as an upstream supplier/market participant in the same tape value chain, though Fujifilm is upstream rather than a direct reseller.
• Dell Technologies: Sells Dell PowerVault tape backup solutions and partners with Quantum for OEM LTO drives. Competes with SQS on new tape hardware sales to enterprise customers, though at a much broader portfolio scale.
• HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise): OEM of LTO tape drives and StoreEver tape libraries sold under HPE branding. SQS distributes refurbished versions of these same SKUs, making HPE both a supplier and a broad incumbent competitor in the tape market.

Regional players

• Stone Group: UK-based IT hardware reseller offering refurbished and new computing infrastructure including storage. Comparable as a UK regional competitor in refurbished/refurb IT hardware distribution with similar SMB and education-sector buyers.

Emerging players

• BDT Media Automation: Niche manufacturer of automated tape handling systems (autoloaders and libraries). Comparable in the autoloader/library product category where SQS also operates, though BDT specializes in automation rather than broad catalog resale.

Direct peers

• Quantum Corporation: Designs and sells LTO tape drives, autoloaders, and tape-based data protection platforms. Directly comparable as both SQS and Quantum sell LTO hardware to enterprise backup/archival buyers, though Quantum is the OEM and SQS is a refurbisher/reseller.
• Tandberg Data (Overland-Tandberg): Sells LTO tape drives, autoloaders, and RDX removable storage. Strong product-line overlap with SQS across the LTO/autoloader categories, with comparable SMB and mid-market target buyers.
• Spectra Logic: Specialist manufacturer of enterprise tape libraries (BlackPearl, T-Finity, Scalar) used for archival and backup. SQS resells competing/refurbished libraries, making Spectra a direct product-overlap competitor at the library tier.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sqsdatastorage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sqs-limited/about
• Xx.com/DataStorageNAS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SQS