Tape still viable, popular for data backup and recovery

Tape technology has dominated the enterprise sector's data backup and recovery strategies for much of the past several decades. Over time, tape proved its effectiveness - both in terms of cost and ability to store mission-critical information and restore it properly following an IT disaster.

But more recently, tape has been forced to fend off its fair share of challengers, as new technology promised enhanced storage and speedier restore times. Still, through much adversity, tape has stuck as the data protection method of choice. And that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon, especially not in developing markets.

ITWeb recently proved that point with a survey of companies in South Africa. The poll revealed that tape remains a go-to solution when it comes to data backup and recovery.

Nearly half of respondents to the news provider's survey said they currently rely on tape storage to protect and and recover enterprise data. Forty-two percent use another technology, while about 11 percent were unsure.

Despite so-called advancements in technology, the poll's results demonstrate the continued enthusiasm the enterprise has for tape and offsite tape storage. One driving factor could be the march of data growth, as companies around the world are witnessing increasing data volumes

With all of the data they produce, organizations are in need of a robust solution to store, protect and back it up. Many are sticking with tape in order to do so.

One area in which South African companies could use improvement, according to ITWeb, is the lack of reliance on a partner organization, which can be used for enhancing tape backup. Offsite tape storage is one reason to work with a partner.

With services such as offsite tape storage, and organization can lean on a third-party firm to ensure that information protected both completely and properly. In these situations, companies retain full control, as well as access, over their data. And scheduled tape pickups mean companies update their system as often as they want.

These days, however, companies aren't forced to choose between a technology they trust - tape - and one that promises to modernize their processes - cloud - because they can enjoy the benefits of both. Experts agree that a good idea for a well-rounded backup program is to rely on the cloud for short-term storage and quicker recovery times, while also using the tape for long-term archiving and the most confidential of enterprise data.