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Does Your Business Need a Storage Attitude
Adjustment Service?
June 30, 2014
SaaS
Instead of talking about just managing storage growth, shouldn't we be embracing data growth?
Odd, isn't it, the conflicting messages we receive about data storage. On the one hand, we are told that data is a company's most precious non-human asset, yet on the other we see vendors describing storage and data using terms like burden, problem, deluge or headache. Scare stories abound, with IDC estimating that data volumes will double every two years this decade - the stuff of IT managers' nightmares.
It's little wonder then that storage is often seen as a necessary evil - something to endure. Sure, it's never going to be the headline act but isn't it time we stopped selling storage technology short? Instead of talking about just managing storage growth, shouldn't we be embracing data growth?
The attitude of viewing storage as a burden ignores its immense potential as a business enabler. Much has changed in the last few years and storage options are many, varied and a far cry from just existing as a dumping ground for lots of data. Cheap consumer storage products are readily available: you can now expect change from $200 for a 3 Terabyte drive, something unimaginable a decade ago. Not surprisingly then, many busy organisations are tempted to just keep adding low-cost storage for their fast-growing volumes of data. Like with many things though, you get what you pay for and companies can't afford to sacrifice reliable access to their information. Cheap storage is great for backing up your home movie collection, not so great when essential business data is at stake.
Of course, that data only becomes a great asset if businesses find a way to capitalise on it. The value is in extracting insights and gaining understanding of customers, becoming better able to anticipate their needs - something that is now far easier with the new devices on the market. Putting analytics within reach is like switching a light on customer behaviour - while your competitors are still working in the dark.
It isn't just analytics of course. The right storage solution makes a serious impact on performance, especially where bottlenecks previously slowed down applications with a need for speed. It enables businesses to do things in real time in ways they couldn't before. Getting these outcomes takes a shift in mind-set. It means considering different consumption models like storage as a service, new technologies such as flash storage, new devices that go far beyond traditional storage capabilities.
Instead of thinking of your growing data volume as an unwelcome deluge, consider the opportunity it represents.
If your business is still stuck in the 'storage as a burden' rut, perhaps it is time for Team's Storage attitude adjustment Service.