Top Data Storage Solutions for 2020

How data is stored has changed over the years. Not all that long ago, businesses stored physical data in folders and kept it in filing cabinets. As businesses went digital, owners and employees backed up vital information to the computer. Many would save information on floppy disks first, then CDs.

When it comes to storing data, businesses of all sizes need to keep a copy in a safe location away from a physical computer or laptop. Having a backup can help to prevent serious problems in the event of a catastrophic event or data breach. Storing data looks a bit different than it did several years ago. Here are five of the top data storage solutions for 2020.

External Hard Drives

An external hard drive is a hard drive that’s outside of the computer rather than inside of it. It’s often called a portable hard drive because you can disconnect it from your computer and carry it with you separately.

In addition to portability, external hard drives (HDDs) have large storage capacities, often in the terabytes. You can easily backup a lot of data and store the hard drive in another location for safekeeping. An HDD also provides a way to share files with others in your business without sending them via email or uploading them online.

Thumb and Flash Drives

Thumb drives and flash drives are small, portable devices that plug into your computer to store information. While they look similar (and the names are often used interchangeably), they’re quite different.

Flash drives have substantially more storage capacity than thumb drives, which typically only come in 16GB to 128GB versions. You can find flash drives with as much as 2 terabytes of storage space.

Cloud Storage

One of the most popular solutions today is to create an online database in the cloud. Cloud storage enables you to back up a copy of your data without having to put it on another physical device. It’s easier to locate necessary information and share it. Since there’s no secondary device, you don’t have to worry about a hard drive or flash drive getting lost or stolen.

Cloud storage offers some significant advantages. It’s scalable, so it can easily grow with your business. Multiple users can access information at the same time. It also provides immediate syncing and the ability to access data from any computer, no matter where you are.

Hybrid Cloud Storage

Hybrid cloud storage combines on-site computing and the cloud Using a hybrid solution, your business can capitalize on the benefits of a public cloud and a private (on-site) cloud.

With the public cloud, get the benefits of:

• No infrastructure management.
• Resources when you need them.
• No capital expenditure needed.

With the private cloud, you get the following benefits:

• Greater control over your data.
• Consistent security.
• Predictability of costs and an understanding of performance.

It’s a cost-effective solution that enables you to employ local storage for faster access and low-cost public cloud storage for older files and disaster recovery.

You may decide that a hybrid solution is the best one for you if you:

• Have frequently changing workloads.
• You want to make the shift to the cloud, but you would prefer to do it gradually.
• You want greater flexibility for the future.
• You have temporary processing needs (which prevents you from spending money on equipment you might only need for the short-term).

Software-Defined Storage (SDS)

Software-defined storage is a type of storage that separates the storage software from its hardware.

Without the dependence on proprietary hardware, you’re better equipped to expand your capacity as you need almost instantly, rather than finding out that you need to buy yet another piece of hardware.

Benefits of software-defined storage include:

• Scalability.
• Cost-efficiency (there’s no need to buy multiple pieces of hardware).
• The ability to choose what hardware you want to run your storage devices.
• The system can adjust automatically by pulling from any storage volume that it’s attached to.
• You can combine multiple sources to build your infrastructure (external drives, flash resources, cloud-based resources).

Keeping your data safe is vital for your business. With these storage solutions, you can find something that will help you to ensure that the information you store stays secure.