For A3 Communications’ 20th anniversary, it reflected on the transformation of the data storage landscape over the last two decades.
A lot can happen in 20 years and in the data storage industry, where change and innovation are written into our DNA, the landscape from two decades ago may seem completely unrecognisable to some.
It could be easy to look back and think that solutions like the floppy disc are basic and irrelevant. A bit like when you find an old photo and can’t believe that hairstyle was ever in fashion.
But the truth is that those small plastic discs, and other storage technologies that have fallen by the wayside, changed the way we worked and did business just as much as some of our more current technologies. It wasn’t that much earlier, for example, that we relied on paper files and giant physical archives. Imagine the difference that storing data on a small disc made.
Beyond the immediate benefits, as new storage solutions are introduced, they open up opportunities to develop even more ambitious technologies; and they don’t just make a difference to businesses – they have a huge impact on our everyday lives.
This is not developing technology for technology’s sake. By stretching storage capabilities, by providing high availability, high-capacity storage, the industry has cleared the way for seismic changes to the way we live – from where and how we work and communicate with each other, to how we shop and consume entertainment.
And thanks to developments 20 years ago, today we’re able to take on challenges posed by the sheer volume of data we produce and its environmental impact.
So, as you take a look at some of the landmark moments of the last 20 years, consider how their impact is still felt, and how they’ll continue to influence the way we store data over the next 20. Data storage is indeed essential to everyday life.
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