Over the years, your organization will amass a great deal of information. Some of it can be discarded once you’re finished with it. But for more important data, you need to figure out how to effectively store it. Continue reading for 5 long term data retention strategies that will keep your information safe for years to come.
Create a Strong Long Term Data Retention Policy
Before you start with any long term data retention strategy, it’s important to have strong policies in place. This way, all of your employees will know what to do with the information they work with.
To create an effective policy, there are a variety of factors to think about. What are you using the data for? What regulatory requirements must your industry adhere to? How much do you want to spend on solutions? Who is going to have access to certain types of information?
The answers to these types of questions will become the basis for your policy.
5 Long Term Data Retention Strategies
After you’ve drafted your long term data retention policy, it’s time to consider what you’ll actually do with the information. Take a look at these 5 long term data retention strategies and think about how they may apply to your needs.
Microfilm
If you have a large catalog of documents, microfilm may be the best strategy for your long term data retention needs. This approach allows you to save space because documents are converted into little photographs and saved on film.
Microfilm can be a great way to save physical documents without using a lot of technology. This helps ensure accessibility to documents in the long term.
However, microfilm also comes with some risks. For example, storage can be an issue because microfilm may be subject to physical damage from fire or weather-related events. This makes proper environmental storage a priority to increase longevity.
Since microfilm is a physical way of storing documents, information may not be easy to find. Rather than being able to do a quick electronic search, you need to create a cataloguing and inventory process to efficiently find what you need.
External Drives
External hard drives can help you save your data, but it’s important to keep longevity in mind. Depending on the brand, external hard drives may only last for about eight years. These devices can be wireless or have wired connectivity.
Another long term data retention strategy is using a flash drive. Flash drives, despite their small size, may last ten years. But remember that memory cells can wane if the drives aren’t used .
It’s important to keep in mind that all magnetic data is subject to degradation and electromagnetic damage. Also, advancements in technology may make it difficult to maintain and access the information on these external devices.
Optical Discs
Optical discs aren’t just for music and movies. You can use CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays to store your information. How much storage you have depends on the specific product. You may be able to store several gigabytes of data on one optical disc.
It’s also important to keep performance in mind when you use this long term data retention strategy. Have you ever had a CD malfunction in the middle of a beloved song? Or have the DVD of your favorite movie stop working?
You don’t want to risk this happening to your company’s data. Despite this risk, optical discs can be a good backup solution if you need . This is because optical discs can have a long storage life under the right environmental conditions.
However, optical discs are a somewhat outdated way of storing information. As technology evolves, it may become increasingly challenging to access data. For example, new computers are not as likely to have a CD ROM that allows you to access data stored on a CD or DVD.
Also, the storage space of optical discs is relatively limited compared to other methods. If you go this route, you will need several discs, as well as devices, to gain access to your information.
Cloud Storage
If you want to store data for longer periods of time, cloud storage is a great remote solution. Not only can you store your data securely, you don’t have to worry about access. This is because cloud storage companies keep customers’ information on several servers in different locations.
Also, you can choose plans that are right for your needs. Companies provide different levels of storage space and you can modify the plan as your requirements change.
Additionally, some provides offer free plans with a few gigabytes of storage so you can try out their service.
Before doing business with any cloud storage provider, be sure to vet them thoroughly. Some have better reputations than others and you don’t want to risk entrusting your information with an unreliable company.
Paper Storage
In this day and age, it may seem inconceivable to even consider paper storage for your information. However, in some cases, old-fashioned solutions work best.
If you want to keep the original copies of certain documents, this can be a good idea. But considering all of the risks—from fire to theft to natural disasters—it’s important to always have copies stored in other ways as well.
Choosing the Right Long Term Data Storage Solution
Not sure what the right type of long term data storage strategy is right for you? Are you considering one of these solutions and want help implementing it? The data storage experts at Messaging Architects can help. Contact us today for advice on which approach is right for you.
