At a technology conference last summer, Google’s then CEO Erik Schmidt said that we create as much information in two days now as we did from the dawn of man through 2003. Much has been said about the explosive growth of data being generated, consumed and stored. If you’re not convinced, check out this digital universe page from EMC or this cool graphic (which is probably outdated the moment I type this) from Good magazine.
The confluence of internet adoption, digitization of documents and records, pervasiveness of networked devices, data retention regulations and numerous other factors are the backdrop for this phenomenon.
You know this. But chances are if you’re charged with storing your organization’s data (or paying for the infrastructure that will support it) you’re confused about how to evaluate the options at hand and make decisions that support your company’s data storage needs effectively, efficiently and securely.
Over the next five weeks, we'll walk you through how to evaluate the options for cloud storage. While cloud storage isn’t for everyone, the flexibility characteristics of cloud services and the obvious savings in capital expenditures required translated into an increase in adoption of over 300% since 2010 with some industry analysts predicting worldwide spending on cloud storage will reach $1 billion in 2013.
Recognizing different storage needs
Here’s what we know: Not all data is created equal. This massive amount of information being accumulated by users and businesses cannot and should not be stored and delivered using the same level of infrastructure and networks.
Many organizations realize that doing so is both operationally and financially unsustainable, and therefore are adopting a multi-tiered approach to data storage.
A myriad of storage technologies have been introduced over the years to address different levels of data criticality and performance. These solutions, including disk based backup, data duplication, and a number of others that power our three tiered managed storage offering, allow organizations to combine different grades of platforms and choose the one most appropriate for the type of data, its users and the retention period it require.
The next (front)tier of multi-tiered storage
This evolution from single type of storage, to a multi-tier storage approach is now reaching a state in which cost-effective storage services are being considered to complement internal investments in data storage. These capabilities, by virtue of being Internet accessible services, operate beyond the confines of the corporate network, require significantly less ongoing management effort and provide higher levels of flexibility.
As a consumer you can benefit from the flexibility an Internet-accessible storage service such as Dropbox has to offer when you required anywhere/anytime to your files. Home users can subscribe to a backup service such as Mozy and more recently store their music collection on Amazon or Apple. These new kinds of utility type services, together with their benefits and risks are not restricted to consumers as more businesses are now considering cloud storage alternatives for their needs.
Case in point is one of the early cloud infrastructure providers, Amazon Web Services, who has been operating a service called S3 for several years. This multi-tenant storage service has been the foundation for many early stage and cash strapped companies over the years and is one of a few services being considered a cheap and flexible storage alternative for non critical storage in a growing number of organizations.
Internet-accessible and important to mention, multi-tenant, business grade storage services are emerging as viable storage tier for some types of data, projects or applications.
More to come in the next few weeks about evaluating the options for cloud storage, including case studies on cloud storage, the benefits and risks cloud storage and what to consider when choosing a cloud storage provider.
Shawn Myron is the director of products and services for TELUS' hosting and data centres.
Questions about the cloud and whether it's right for your company? Leave a comment here.
