Data management and storage is one of the pivotal processes in both small and large business corporations. The necessity of data for an organization cannot be overemphasized and that all key decisions are determined after a thorough data review process. At the beginning, businesses have fewer data storage needs hence the reduced need for storage space. As businesses grow, information in the form of emails, fax, presentations, graphics and audio files pile up. The dependency that businesses have towards this kind of data reinforces the choice of efficient storage systems. Before delving into the different types of business data storage solutions, it is important that you look at the current trends for software solutions.
Trends in Data Storage and Handling
Government Regulations: The famous Sarbanes Oxley Act requires that companies and businesses as a whole maintain a data back up of their operations. This apart from being a regulation helps in safeguarding the business informational resources.
Legal Requirements: Legally, businesses are required to archive their records dating back 5 years or more.
Cyber Threats: The internet is responsible for all the viral infections to machines, becoming the biggest threat to business records. While these threats are still present, it is recommended that businesses take precautionary measures to safeguard their informational resources against spyware, malware and other malicious programs.
Operating System Updates: Various versions of operating systems have different hardware requirements in terms of space. Businesses need to explore various storage solutions to accommodate such systems and their respective updates.
The success of a company is determined by the way it stores and manages its informational resources. Therehave been new additions and updates in the way information is stored and handled in the contemporary society. There are various options for storing data and there is one best fit option, in fact the best solution is a combination of a number of options. To choose the best options, you should look at your unique needs and the data requirements that you need handled. Some of the common data storage solutions that you can look at include the following:
Flash Memory Thumb Drives
These storage drives are popular primarily because of their low power consumption and mobility. They do not have any moving parts and their size makes them fit easily into a key chain conveniently. To back up your files stored in the laptop for instance, all you need to do is connect the drive to your laptop USB port. There are some drives that have data encryption capabilities to help you move data from one point to another without any loss or corruption.
External Hard Drives
This has been viewed as a way of adding extra space to your machine. It is inexpensive and all you need is a computer where the hard drive will be connected. You can then transfer all the files stored in the computer to the hard drive just the same way you would transfer to a flash. Because of its size, you may not be comfortable carrying it along when travelling meaning that you need to use a flash drive again to transfer the contents from the hard drive. Of course, the external hard drives are not resistant to extreme conditions like fires or floods, which in these cases, the data would be lost.
Online Storage Systems
This kind of storage system has lots of benefits. By archiving your records online, you protect them from disasters at your place of work. You can also provide access to your business partners and interested parties by giving passwords through which they can log and access the files. The dynamic nature of these storage devices allow for the storage of huge files. Remote storage however is not as fast during the initial back up session. Retrieving of data however is fast and can be done from any computer with a browser and internet access.
Network Attached Storage (NAS) System
This type of storage system is relatively fast and simple. It operates in a networked environment with an internet protocol (IP). This Network attached storage solutions best fits small and mid-sized companies in need of huge and economical storage space. They are generally easy to centrally manage, deploy and consolidate.
In storage, the bottom line is for you to plan effectively and depending on your needs, craft an amicable solution that will make your data safe and secure.
