For the small to medium enterprise (SME) and even the consumer, data storage is becoming an increasing concern, says Anamika Budree, sales manager, Branded Products at WD South Africa.
The growing volume of content, whether it be business-related or personal, and the increasing value of this content to users, requires a more considered approach to storage. In addition, the connected nature of the world today requires a storage solution that allows users to share and access content, no matter where they are, without compromising on security.
Network Attached Storage (NAS) has become a popular solution in the SME and consumer space, as this addresses both capacity and data protection and enables access to all devices on the same network.
However, when it comes to providing access from anywhere, the cloud is the only solution. NAS devices that incorporate a personal cloud service deliver the ideal balance of capacity, security and access to ensure users can store, share and protect all of their important digital content.
As data volumes for the SME and consumer begin to run into the terabytes, these users require ever more storage capacity. However, the risk of data loss, whether business or consumer related, is becoming a well-known issue. For consumers, data often houses precious memories that can never be replaced. For business, losing data results in lost revenue and productivity, and worst case scenario, could ultimately result in the business closing down.
As a result of these challenges, NAS systems aimed at the SME and consumer are growing in availability, popularity and capacity.
NAS not only enables users to leverage large storage volumes, it also allows for enhanced data protection using RAID. While there are various levels of RAID, RAID 1 is typically used in this scenario as it creates an exact copy or mirror of data on two separate disks. This creates a set of redundant data, ensuring that a backup is always available even if one of the disks fails.
However, while NAS creates a central repository for data storage and protection within a network, it does not address a growing need to be able to access and share information from outside the network’s boundaries. The world, and users, have become increasingly mobile, and often need to be able to work on the move, which requires access to the same data as in the office.
Consumers also want to share their content with friends and family no matter where they are. Cloud storage is the obvious answer to this dilemma as it allows for sharing and access from any location where the user has Internet connectivity, but the public cloud is not for everyone.
Public cloud solutions often offer limited free storage capacity, and purchasing more storage can be a costly exercise requiring monthly or annual fees to be paid. Many users also have security concerns around keeping private information in a public cloud – and the numerous security breaches these providers have experienced prove these concerns to be well founded.
In addition, using a public cloud provider requires all data to be stored in the cloud to be uploaded over the Internet, which in South Africa in particular, where uplink speeds are limited and bandwidth remains fairly expensive in large volumes, can be time consuming and pricey.
A personal cloud, linked to a NAS storage device, offers all of the benefits of the cloud with none of the challenges. Since it is linked to a local network, data upload can be completed quickly. It also uses the very capacity that is available within an existing NAS system, making it very cost effective, and as it uses this NAS storage it is also a secure, centralised data repository.
In order to address the changing needs of the SME and the consumer, a truly converged storage solution is required. NAS systems that offer the capability to deliver a personal cloud deliver everything these users need and more. Centralised high capacity storage, enhanced data protection, and secure access and sharing are essential in meeting the requirements of a mobile, connected and data-driven world.
