Odetics Signs Deal With Illinois Unit

Odetics, a company that makes computer information retrieval systems, said Tuesday that it had signed a deal to supply the XL/Datacomp division of Storage Technology Corp. with automated tape library subsystems.

The value of the deal was not disclosed. Odetics, based in Anaheim, signed a multi-year agreement with XL/Datacomp in Hinsdale, Ill.

The automated tape library subsystem works like a jukebox, using a robotic arm to retrieve tapes and put them on the drives inside the machine. The model that XL/Datacomp is buying, the ACL5480, is about the size of a refrigerator, costs about $25,000 and is intended for use on mid-size computer systems.