Storage solutions suitable for individual, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger multi-nationals

INTRODUCTION:

As an entrepreneur I would say that all of us want to see our companies succeeding and some want to shine and thrive out there like a lot of large companies did.

An important piece of advice for those who are seeking this path, is to know the best way to store the Data of your company, considering all changes and challenges imposed by the world, like coronavirus, rapid development of technology and growing popularity of remote work for example.

It is very important to keep in mind that inadequate and deficient storage of Data, it will be subject to the most varied risks, such as inaccuracy or loss of information, economic losses, not meeting market expectations, losing business and even suffering legal sanctions. It is also possible to organise documents, optimise processes, speed up the execution of tasks in different sectors of the company, increase productivity and facilitate the administrative routine of the business.

STORAGE DEVICES:

Devices that act as if they were external hard drives without an interface, example:, an operating system, that allows transfer or multiple access. Therefore, they are not suitable for more complex storage strategies, but they can be useful if you are starting your Business and if you are an organised person!

It was my very first option when I had a limited budget and not much experience in the Business World. I started with a USB Flash Drive, which I had many copies and I would give one to each of my 2 employees and I would keep another one in case something happened, after a wile I changed it for a hard disk drive, always keeping 2 of them in case of:

*Accidental deletions? *Power failures? *Spills, drops, and other physical accidents ?*Viruses and other forms of malware? *Theft? *Fires, floods, explosions, and other catastrophic events.

Let’s check10 Examples of Storage Devices for Digital Data by?

https://turbofuture.com/computers/Examples-of-Data-Storage-Devices

1 - Hard Drive Disks? 2 - Floppy Disks? 3 - Tapes ?4 - Compact Discs (CDs)? 5 - DVD and Blu-ray Discs ?6 - USB Flash Drives? 7 - Secure Digital Cards (SD Cards) ?8 - Solid-State Drives (SSDs)? 9 - Cloud Storage? 10 - Punch Cards.

STORAGE DEVICES - DAS | SAN & NAS:

Another type of Storage device is DAS - Digital Storage System, is a storage device that connects directly to a personal computer, workstation, or server, but won’t be attached to a network, been accessed only by the device that it is connected with, main reason of its name, can be used for small and medium companies as file server. Larger companies sometimes use DAS with networked storage systems like SAN and NAS.

NAS - Network Attached Storage unite, is a computer connected to a network that storage files accessible over the network via browser.

SAN - Storage Area Network is a dedicated, independent high-speed network that interconnects and delivers shared pools of storage devices to multiple servers, usually used by large companies once is reliable it improve application availability, enhance application performance and increase storage utilisation.

SERVERS:

Devices that centralise data and that are connected to one or several computers with large storage and processing capacity. In this way, it is possible not only to store data, but also to distribute them in different formats, as well as access and change them. Considering expenses:

*Hiring of specialists? *Purchase of materials? *Maintenance

A good option for small companies that don't require a big demand for information storage, as soon the business grows, will be necessary to add servers or capacities to the existing ones, or move on to another option of storage.

CLOUD STORAGE:

Several servers and storage devices which provide space for archiving data and information in the virtual environment.

*It has a backup (security copies)? *Data protection system? *PI integration? *Encryption of more sensitive data

Consider the fact that if there is a problem with the Internet connection, access to this data is unavailable. Another factor is the privacy and security of this information: in an eventual attack on the servers of the company you hired to provide cloud storage, your business data can be corrupted, erased and even exposed.

The good news is that employees will not need to be present in a particular physical location to have access to data and exchange information. Anywhere, at any time and through an Internet-enabled device, work can be carried out.

It is also necessary to take into account the price of this service. The market has free options, but they usually offer small storage space.

Let's see some examples that could be used by your company!

CLOUD STORAGE - GOOGLE DRIVE:

Probably one of the most popular cloud storage platforms. Those who have Android devices probably already use it, as it integrates Gmail, Google Photos and other Google services.

CLOUD STORAGE - DROPBOX:

One of the most robust enterprise storage solutions. It offers 2 GB of space for free, which can be expanded by referring the service to others or subscribing to one of its business plans.

CLOUD STORAGE AWS - AMAZON:

known for providing 5GB of free storage, but the plan fees for this particular service provider are also reasonable. Their most important thing is the user interface, which is so simple, does not pose any difficulties for users, whether they are new or not.

CONCLUSION:

Some storage options will suit better to some of you, it depends of the size of your company, your Activity, business model and other factors may interfere in your decision, like if your company allow staff to operate as a remote, etc… but I am sure that all of us dance according with the music, as soon coronavirus hit us, a lot of companies took fast actions to adapt to a new processes of storing and sharing their Data. The important thing is research and know the options you have for each phase of your company during its development.

And don’t wait until you have the best financial conditions or have the best Storage to start your business, it is normal start the Business without understand much and not investing much, I am sure within time as soon your business start to growth you will be able to improve everything regarding your companies Data to use it in favour of your company.

Different from 2010 nowadays I use a SDS - Software defined storage, which allows me to keep all in a place that's infinitely flexible and scalable.

I hope you guys like it :) Have a great day!

Supporting references:

Computer Basics: 10 Examples of Storage Devices for Digital Data? https://turbofuture.com/computers/Examples-of-Data-Storage-Devices

What is Direct Attached Storage (DAS) and How Does It work? ?https://www.purestorage.com/knowledge/what-is-direct-attached-storage.html

What is a SAN? Ultimate storage area network guide? https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-area-network-SAN

Data Storage Methods for Businesses? https://www.vxchnge.com/blog/business-data-storage-methods

How to choose the best storage options for your company data ?https://blog.datumize.com/storage-options-how-to-choose-the-best-for-your-company-data