Enterprises are generating and storing more data than ever before in support of modern digital business initiatives. The quantity of stored data within enterprises is forecast to expand significantly, regardless of location, with the total enterprise storage systems installed base expected to grow at a 30.9% CAGR between 2020–2025, totaling 5.5 zettabytes (ZB) – that’s over five million petabytes.
But while the perceived value of enterprise data may be limitless, IT budgets are not. Infrastructure spending will struggle to keep up with the demand for more storage and larger data sets. How do enterprises increasingly do more with less when it comes to data management?
Cold storage solutions and services have become a valuable part of modern enterprise data management strategy by enabling the long-term storage of less active data, either in a standalone fashion (basic services offering storage capacity) or as one component of a data management platform. Some key uses of cold storage solutions include:
- Preventing extended periods of service downtime associated with traditional offline, offsite, and/or removable media
- Delivering access to integrated or adjacent data services such as tagging, index and search, data visualization and management, and data analytics
And as cold storage solutions mature, they continue to add advanced functions like data tiering, classification, and compliance as they seek to increase their value and relevance to enterprises.