In constant pursuit of performance, companies must optimize information processing and document management to remain competitive, regardless of their industry. The volume of digital data to be saved and managed by professionals is also increasing. In this context, finding reliable storage means that are suitable for your needs is crucial. What are the right data storage solutions for businesses? Find out in this article.
PHYSICAL STORAGE OPTIONS
The physical storage media are no longer present. Classic, they are part of the daily use tools used by professionals. Hard disks (internal or external), USB keys, and optical disks are already in great demand in business. Their major advantage is that they are easy to buy and simple to use. These storage media, whether or not they have flash memory, do not require an internet connection to function and their storage capacity is constantly improving.
But, if you want to exclusively use physical storage in your company, there are some constraints that you should not forget. You are obliged to invest in the purchase of physical servers and in the installation of adequate computer equipment. Since their lifespan is limited, you must also renew them and make regular backups. Equipment maintenance and team training expenses are necessary.
In addition, large companies may find, with good reason, that the storage capacity of physical media is very limited. The amount of data that businesses manipulate today is colossal.
Finally, the use of storage media involves significant exposure to the risks of:
- hardware failures (server power supply problem, processor failure, etc.) which can render your management system inoperative,
- disasters such as fires which can damage your media and lead to the loss of your data,
- hacking or infestation of your data if malware enters your computer system …
For practical reasons, many companies are turning to cloud storage.
CLOUD STORAGE, MORE CONVENIENT AND MORE SECURE
Cloud storage or online storage is the most popular means of backing up digital data today. You can save and keep your data on shared or private servers via the internet.
If many companies, professionals and even individuals choose the cloud, it is mainly because it considerably reduces the expenses related to the management of data and their access. You do not need to budget for the installation and maintenance of heavy equipment, the external provider takes care of it.
In addition, storage in a private cloud is a very secure solution. Indeed, with a service provider like NetExplorer, you have access to a private cloud certified ISO 27001 (2013 version), ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and HDS. Another major advantage of the cloud is the almost unlimited storage capacity it offers. You can choose a variety of offers according to your current needs and increase your subscription as your business grows.
Documents stored in the cloud are accessible anytime, anywhere. It is therefore a solution that meets the increasingly high mobility needs of professionals and work teams. This is the reason why the cloud is often at the service of teleworking and collaborative work in companies.
Not much is criticized for cloud storage. It may be found at first glance that the paid plan you need to subscribe to in order to benefit from the service may not be a good idea. But the prices are generally not high. Then the storage system does not belong to you, so you will have to outsource the backup of your data. The last criticism concerns the vulnerability of data centers. This vulnerability can be linked to malfunctions or hacks.
For all these reasons, your storage needs and development strategies must be taken into account when choosing a reliable specialist. To help you, our French company, an expert in digital data management in the cloud, offers you a flexible and reliable cloud platform. With NetExplorer, you get a secure space with advanced access rights features. These guarantee the confidentiality of your data.
STORAGE ON A NAS SERVER
Another option that companies can choose for the storage of dematerialized data is the NAS (Network Attached Store) server. It is used to store files through a local area network (LAN). Much like all servers, the NAS is made up of processors, hard drives, and RAM memory. What makes it different from regular servers is its full operating system. The latter manages the storage as well as the sharing of recorded files. It is a storage solution that therefore allows you to retrieve data from a centralized source. Of course, the data is only accessible to users with the required permissions. Among the advantages of storage on a NAS server we can mention:
- its accessibility (all peripherals can be connected to it thanks to an internet connection),
- its flexibility and scalability (no need to replace the server to increase storage capacity, you just need to add hard disks),
- its performance (compatible for the storage of multimedia content and Big Data),
- its simple configuration (configuration and management of the system are quite simplified) …
