Data management has become extremely complex in recent years, as the total volume of information stored among businesses and public sector entities has continued to rise. As data loss and theft can be devastating, enterprises need to ensure that their archiving, retention and overall management strategies are aligned with best practices.
A study by InformationWeek Reports revealed that data growth rates are skyrocketing with the passing of each year, with nearly one-third of organizations experiencing increases of 25 percent or more annually. The study, titled “The 2013 State of Storage Report,” surveyed 314 business technology decision-makers and sought to discover trends in data management for the new year.
According to the firm, Big Data use is one of the most common reasons for the increasing average volume of information stored by enterprises, as nearly half of the respondents said that the technology is among the biggest drivers of growth. The research revealed a variety of trends related to the ways companies are approaching such massive volumes of information.
How organizations are storing data
For example, 60 percent of respondents replied that they are encrypting stored information, while 63 percent are using solid-state drives to improve performance. Furthermore, the InformationWeek Reports study found that more than one-quarter of respondents have started to consolidate data storage facilities into using fewer systems in an attempt to centrally manage the whole scope of information.
Finally, the research indicated that 39 percent of respondents are currently using cloud-based storage, with another 32 percent planning to launch such strategies in the coming years.
Many reports have indicated that cloud computing and Big Data have started to converge among enterprises, especially as the former enables the capacity and scalability necessary for the latter. Corporate decision-makers should consider launching Big Data and cloud computing strategies in tandem to maintain the most cohesive and effective information management protocols possible.
