Data Storage  – although we think digital data will last for infinite time, the fact is we don’t know how long will it survive in the storage media. This is because every material thing has a life and with time its life, as well as performance, deteriorates. Not to mention, here the obvious question that arises is how will then someone will ensure that their important data will always remain available to them? This question is a sensitive one too as with technological advancement we have witnessed certain storage devices have become obsolete like a floppy disc. Hence, the data stored in a floppy disc if not transferred to another storage device on time will definitely be lost forever. And the same is applicable for modern computers which cannot access floppy discs.

The same is the case with CDs and DVDs as today’s laptops do not have in-built CD/DVD-ROM. But in this lieu, the situation isn’t as bad as that of the floppy disk because a user can still use CD or DVD by using an external CD/DVD ROM.

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So, what are the different means of long-term data storage?

Here we must remember three important things about long-term data storage. The storage medium must be:

• Affordable or overhead will grow with time.
• Reliable, whether data is accessed frequently or not.
• As secure as daily operational data, if not more so.

With all this in mind, small businesses should consider these options:

1. SSD technology and On-Site Backup Server

If you can access data from a fixed location, nothing is more secure than that. As Solid-State Drives (SSDs) become available, many small businesses are adopting on-site backup servers with multiple SSDs. Typically, these servers use “dummy” terminals that connect only to the server. As a result, neither the server nor the terminals can access the Internet. This makes data safer from cybercriminals, at the cost of time spent creating backups and the potential for on-site disasters like flooding and fire that can destroy your equipment and your data along with it.

Why SSD instead of conventional hard drives? First of all its tenure is more than conventional drives which typically tend to wear out after about three years of use. Furthermore, SSDs don’t use conventional spinning “platters” to store data, so there are fewer moving parts. Under optimal conditions, an SSD can be used for ten years or more without any hardware issues. This makes SSD ideal for long-term data storage.

2. Digital Optical Drives

The maximum capacity of a modern DVD disc is 4.5 gigabytes, and 35 GB for Blu-ray, which is adequate for many small businesses. If handled correctly, a DVD continues to operate smoothly for decades. However, using DVDs for storage raises a number of challenges.

As a small business grows, discs multiply efforts as individual teams, departments, and divisions might have to manage their own backup efforts. This approach is not scalable and can enhance the risk of data loss or theft.

3. Conventional RAID Array

Large organizations have used RAID technology for decades. RAID – Redundant Array of Independent Disks – is a go-to option for combining hard drives to increase storage space. When implemented correctly, RAID can ensure critical data is being backed up even as users create that data for the first time. Though RAID is a well-known approach to backup, recent shifts in technology have revealed its shortcomings. A RAID array can be a single point of failure, that can damage multiple hard drives if an emergency strikes. RAID is hard to implement and optimize, so it relies to a great extent on in-house expertise that many small businesses do not have.

4. Off-Site Cloud Storage

Off-site cloud is an emerging standard for long-term data storage. Data “in the cloud” is located in off-site data centers ensuring a high level of data security. You can easily retrieve in a granular way, as well as have access to previous versions of every file, and can restore data remotely using any device with an Internet connection.

A third-party cloud provider helps you keep costs low since your storage grows with your business, and requires no in-house equipment or hiring. Plus, using a third-party cloud provider means you have access to IT experts who can ensure that data is being backed up as needed and kept secure at all times.

All in all, the cloud is the ideal solution for long-term data storage for small businesses. When you choose a reliable cloud provider, you can focus on what your business does best and leave the complexities of data storage and security to a partner you can trust.

5. External Hard Drives

External hard drives are an excellent way to store and access important data for a longer period of time. You just need to copy the important files on the connected disk drive in the same manner as we copy files to some other folder. Hard drives are commonly known as the primary storage medium.

Although they have wired connectivity, recently wireless hard drives have also been introduced. They usually have a minimum life span of eight years. However, their life depends largely on the manufacturing brand and the nature of usage. Eight years isn’t a definite lifetime, instead, they keep on working for a longer period of time if used carefully.

6. Flash Drives

Flash Drives are also known as USB drives. They are currently more expensive than an external hard drive or optical storage drives. But since they do not have any moving parts, neither are they as crappy as CDs, so users can trust them for a longer life span.

USB manufacturers claim that their flash drives are capable enough to store data at least for ten years. However, tech reviews say that their memory cells can deteriorate if they are left unpowered and idle for a long time.