Business data is growing and deciding on an appropriate storage method is an important decision for a business. Our research arm, C3 TechTargeting, combined the results of three cloud storage studies for a more in-depth look at how organizations are managing their data requirements and preferred solutions.
Cloud data management solutions are essential for businesses who are seeking to gain valuable insights, while dealing with increasing volumes of data. These solutions simplify the process of managing multiple workloads. Additionally, they reduce costs across all organizational areas while generating insights that can significantly contribute to business growth.
One of the early survey questions demonstrated that the Cloud is a popular data storage solution, as 50 percent of respondents are using it.
What types of data storage solutions are currently in use in your area of responsibility and influence?
With updated policies on security and storage tiers, a growing number of organizations have been switching their operations over to the Cloud. The Cloud is better than ever when it comes to efficiently expanding storage, data security, and information availability.
Every organization has distinctive requirements when it comes to how they do business and it’s helpful to understand some of the key elements of storage before deciding on a solution:
Scalable: Purchasing more disk space is one option for expansion. However, it’s not a very practical way to scale up your operation, as it is not cost efficient. Ideally, the throughput and speed of access needs to be scalable, with the ability to expand capacity, without requiring a large increase in infrastructure and dedicated employees.
Tiered storage: Quick access to data is something that every business wants. The best option is to store the data you use and archive what you don’t need. The media that you use to do this will depend on your requirements and budget.
Readily available: Due to the increasing use of data to establish a business advantage, there is a benefit of having a solution in which data can be stored forever and is easily accessible. However, it is essential that this is accomplished without a rapid increase in costs.
Simplify Your Data Storage
It is also important to understand how to simplify your storage, while maximizing benefits. However, you must first have a good understanding of your requirements.
For the projects you manage, what are your top requirements as related to data storage, cloud and management?
Understanding what your business needs are is critical when sourcing an appropriate storage solution for your organization.
In response to respondents’ requirements, our team has come up with four tips to simplify storage, ensuring the manageability of data and the associated processes:
1. Increase visibility: You can only fix things that you know about, so having visibility across all areas of your infrastructure will enable you to understand what is happening with your data. Software can supply this insight to provide you with a unified view.
2. Integrate assets: It’s possible that you have storage sprawl, with data spread across a range of solutions. However, data can be difficult and costly to move. So, try virtualizing data and ensuring that it’s available simultaneously from all storage areas and applications.
3. Additional storage: Adding on-premises object or cloud storage can help you save on costs. Data virtualization, machine learning, and metadata management can help you to decide how to integrate them into your existing infrastructure and assist you with automating processes for maximum performance.
4. Automated management: Free up your staff’s valuable time and render your data analytics more effective with automation.
Data in some form is essential for most businesses, and we are continuously discovering new ways to effectively use it for insights that are crucial to business progress. Therefore, how we store it is a critical part of the process.
We are retaining data longer, collecting more of it and wanting to access it quickly, while needing to manage and protect it.
New Technology to Fill the Data Storage Gap
Each year new solutions are introduced to help businesses stay on top of this increasingly challenging requirement. This is why vendors such as IBM and Microsoft have introduced solutions lately.
IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud products encompass a full stack cloud platform with over 170 products and services covering data, containers, AI, IoT, and blockchain.
Microsoft Azure: Cloud Computing Services
Invent with purpose, realize cost savings, and make your organization more efficient with Microsoft Azure’s open and flexible cloud computing platform.
Need More Insights? Gain Access to Data Storage Experts
If you’d like a copy of the full report or to speak with an expert on this topic, please submit a request to our Solutions Team. We work with a host of technology experts and solution providers across North America and can match your organization with the right resource. No obligations, just insightful discussion, and a review of your requirements with a helpful team. Submit your request and a member of the team will reach back to you within 2 business days to get you connected.