Panasonic has launched the blu-ray data archiver, a first of its kind optical disc-based data archival solution to extend the lifespan of stored data and improve compliance while lowering operating expenditure.
In the Age of Big Data, the growing demands for storing and archiving data can be an expensive challenge. The information assets of companies and public agencies are globally on the increase year by year. Analysts predict digital data generated worldwide is expected to reach around 45 zettabytes (ZB) in the next four years. More reliable and efficient storage systems will be required to manage these enormous volumes of data.
Data archives are currently stored on either hard disk drive (HDD) or tape-based solutions; technologies that tend to have relatively short lifespans and high energy requirements, which leads to increased operating costs.
Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver delivers data storage that lasts five to ten times longer than either tape or HDD archives. This longer lifespan reduces electronic waste, and when combined with lower cooling needs and energy requirements, makes blu-ray archival more environmentally friendly than alternative storage solutions.
Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver’s large storage capacity caters to organisations that deal with high data volumes. Blu-ray archival storage is also a WORM (Write Once Read Many) medium, which makes it tamper proof and ideal for compliance. The system is more energy efficient because blu-ray archival systems require less power and run cooler.
No physical wear on the storage medium means fewer failures, while still supporting best-in-class practices such as RAID 5, 6 and WORM, claims Panasonic.
“The growing demands for active, and long-term, archival storage present a number of challenges that can strain existing archival systems. Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver is uniquely positioned to address these challenges – from reliability, data integrity, cost and environmental footprint – as compared to existing solutions,” said Hideo Yonenaga, General Manager, Storage Business Division, Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific.
Small and medium enterprises, who may not have the resources or data volume to justify investing in on-premise archival solutions, can still benefit from blu-ray archival technology.
Plan B, a New Zealand-based provider of hosted infrastructure and business continuity services, recently launched the world’s first cloud-based archive-as-a-service technology, which is built on Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver.
“Our new service makes blu-ray archival technology accessible to businesses of all sizes and allows them to securely access and manage their archive data in the cloud,” said Ian Forrester, Managing Director, Plan B Ltd. “Our as-a-service model eliminates capital expenditure while providing easy access, lower costs, scalability and reliable data storage now and into the future. This service model will not just be available in New Zealand but in Asia and Australia as well.”