Every enterprise needs to determine which are the best data storage methods. That data is much more than mere information. Most organizations rely on their proprietary data to make important marketing decisions and utilize powerful algorithms to derive invaluable insights from the unstructured data they’ve gathered from customers, researchers, and competitors. Determining where to store that data can be a daunting challenge. Companies need to weigh the benefits of on-premises vs off-premises solutions and various cloud-based options to make the best decision for storing data.

What is data storage?

Data Storage

Organizations collect data from multiple resources, and the ability to collect information is increasing thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and social media. All these data need to be stored securely but still accessible. Data storage refers to any number of ways that physical recording media are used to retain information read by computer systems to be retrieved when needed. Storage technology has changed significantly throughout the history of computing, ranging from the magnetic drums of room-sized mainframe computers to the latest innovations in solid-state drives (SSDs).

Why is data storage important?

Data plays an important role in the marketing decision-making process, customer connection, and products and new services development. However, enterprises need to choose the most convenient way to store data for management and access to use those data. They must also be sure to protect their business data storage solution from cyberattacks and put redundancies in place to ensure that data isn’t lost, damaged, inaccessible due to system downtime. Enterprises’ data storage systems can incorporate several data storage devices or measurement units, but whatever solution is implemented needs to be aligned with the organization’s computing network’s needs and capabilities.

4 Data storage methods for enterprises

On-premises

The original data storage and on-premises data solution usually involve servers owned and managed by organizations. Those servers can be placed in private data centers for many bigger companies, but they’re machines located in an office’s dedicated data room in most situations.

Whatever form it takes, the defining aspect of an on-premises solution is that the data’s owner takes full responsibility for building and overseeing the IT infrastructure that stores it. This deployment provides the greatest amount of control an organization can have over its network and data, but at the not insignificant cost of managing every aspect. Outdated equipment needs to be replaced, software needs to be patched and updated, and access protocols must be strictly regulated. For many companies, full control over data and network architecture isn’t worth the expense of setting up and operating an on-premises solution.

Outsourcing

While many organizations still like the idea of storing data on devices, they don’t want to deal with the ongoing hassle of managing that device. Power and cooling needs, new services/functions deployment into CNTT infrastructure can be a challenge and time-consuming to enterprises if they handle it internally. By outsourcing, companies can make benefits of flexibility while having full control of their data.

Instead of dealing with variable operating costs, enterprises can minimize costs for power and cooling. The connectivity options of data centers allow them to incorporate new features into their network infrastructure easily. In contrast, a data center environment’s robust security and compliance protocols provide protections that might be more difficult for a company to implement in-house. When remote hands support is added to the mix to address a company’s IT needs 24/7, outsourcing offers many companies an outstanding business data storage method.

Public Cloud

Small and medium companies can’t invest in expensive hardware for data storage. Shifting entire data to public cloud providers makes enterprises flexible. Public cloud solutions are highly scalable, easy to provide more data storage resources or compute when needed. Easy access to the cloud allows employees to use data almost everywhere, which is a huge benefit for organizations with remote workforces. Public cloud architectures also empower edge computing strategies used by companies in the internet of things (IoT) market, helping them extend their network reach into otherwise difficult to access areas and minimize latency.

Private Cloud

The open nature of public cloud environments makes it difficult to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. For companies that can’t afford to take risks, private cloud deployments implemented through a virtualized infrastructure offer much greater security levels, especially when coupled with encryption protocols. Virtualized servers can offer companies all the benefits of physical equipment while being much easier to maintain. New approaches to network architecture, such as hybrid and multi-clouds, can store sensitive data in secure private clouds while still taking advantage of public cloud services’ computing power.

Data security and availability are two important factors when organizations must make the best possible decisions when evaluating data storage methods. By defining future needs and goals, businesses can implement
data infrastructure solutions, allowing businesses to make the most of their data and ensuring that they continue to bring business results.