Online storage makes it easy to access data anywhere.
The demand for data storage continues to grow at a staggering rate, driven by increasing volumes of email, Web content, streaming media, Intranet and distributed file sharing. As a result, organizations struggle to find cost-effective approaches to manage growing data volumes on traditional storage solutions. Online storage services help organizations meet these demands -- cutting costs, reducing risk, improving access and increasing business flexibility. However, concerns about the security of online storage remain.
Cloud Storage
Analysts IDC, in their overview of research studies for cloud storage, states "the emergence of cloud-based application and computing services is already having a profound impact on the storage industries." Cloud storage is a facility for storing data on massive servers located on the premises of an external service provider. Customers transmit and retrieve data over the public Internet or a private network. The service providers offer customers Service Level Agreements that guarantee certain levels of service availability.
Capacity
Online storage provides the capacity customers need to deal with the massive growth in data. This means that the company does not have to invest in additional storage servers and it frees the existing storage infrastructure for critical data. Andrew Reichman, in a Forrester Research paper "Cloud Storage Comes Down to Earth" advises companies to use cloud storage selectively. He suggests that there are three suitable types of storage: whole in-cloud applications with their own storage, backup to the cloud and file storage in the cloud.
Scale
Online storage allows an organization to scale its storage up or down immediately in line with changing demands. That makes it easier to cope with seasonal demand, for example, when a company would have to handle higher levels of transaction data. A company can also scale down its storage if data volumes reduce. Data center managers are investigating techniques such as data deduplication that have the potential to reduce surplus data. Deduplication is a specialized process of data compression that removes redundant data as it compresses.
Access
Putting storage online makes it easier for users to access data, even if they are away from their desks. Mobile workers or authorized partners can access data over the Internet, increasing flexibility. Making data more widely available also increases its value and contribution to effective decision making. However, the cost of transmitting data to and from an on line storage system can affect any other cost benefits. When broadband costs are low, online storage may prove a cost-effective option, depending on transmission volumes.
Security
When companies store their data in the cloud, they are unable to apply their own security policies, increasing the risk of data loss. Data is also at risk when it is in transit over the public Internet. Companies should therefore negotiate stringent security agreements with service providers to ensure that data storage is protected fully. High value commercial information or data that is critical to a company's operations should remain on internal storage systems. Companies can also utilize private networks for secure transmission to and from cloud storage.
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