Like all tape drives for any tape format, LTO drives too need maintainence through the usage of cleaning cartridges. This is because without the usage of cleaning tapes, tape drives become inefficient and might eventually stop functioning altogether. This phenomenon occurs because the usage of tape media in a drive leaves a certain amount of dirt or grime behind. Most drives nowadays have self-cleaning mechanisms and these do manage to remove most of the dirt and grime however inevitably some is left behind. There are also contaminants in the air which may also settle on the tape drive's read/write heads and reduce functionality. Hence the need for cleaning cartridges to remove all the dust and grime and to ensure that your tape drive performs like new... There are the following types of versions and products available for LTO tapes: LTO-1, LTO-2, LTO-3, LTO-4, LTO Cleaning Cartridge, LTO Barcode Labels, LTO Empty Cases and LTO Cartridge Memory Reader. For more information regarding Sony LTO tape media please visit www.tape4backup.com