Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) Member Talks Stale Data

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) exists to help put better IT data storage solutions in place. But what can the SNIA do to assist in the deeper issue of which data should be stored in the first place?

Let’s face it. This is as much a psychological issue as a technological one.

SNIA Europe member Tony Ashley points this out in a recent article on stale data. Ashley writes that we are all guilty of such hoarding.

Write Once, Read Never?

But where does that leave customers?

In the article, Ashley cites an important statistic. In a “typical organization,” about three-quarters of files stored in the most costly manner have gone 6 months or more without being used, reviewed, or even viewed.

There are a range of storage solutions available and many trade-offs possible between data access, speed, and cost reduction. These solutions make keeping unused data on expensive media seem illogical.

Reduce Costs Even if You Can’t Reduce Data

Recent “Data Migrator” solutions mean advances in storage methodologies that improve the choice of trade-offs.

As the Storage Networking Industry Association points out elsewhere, the overall demand for storage is still healthy. Resellers can therefore do themselves and their customers a favor by building in better data storage architectures for more efficient solutions. This allows them to set the scene for a longer-term sales relationship.

How easy is it for you to go beyond the immediate data storage interest of your customers? What opportunities exist to continue to provide solutions in the short term, while adding value to increase customer loyalty longer-term? Share your opinion in the COMMENTS section.

And to follow-through on the tips introduced in this short article, be sure to download your free copy of the special report on IT Service Contract Secrets for Getting More Repeat Clients and Recurring Service Revenue.

Creative Commons Image Source: flickr mikeshelby