The information revolution, fueled by the explosive growth of the Internet in recent years, has an interesting drawback. The mass of data supposedly improves the way companies and individuals alike do business in the digital age. In reality, however, such benefits belong only to those who can manage the reams of data efficiently. At the heart of data management is storage, a scarce commodity for companies looking to store their crucial corporate database and related information into safe info-tech infrastructure, namely disks and tapes. As the mountain of information grows, companies have to enlarge their database and purchase more disks, tapes and other storage devices.
Firms offering storage solutions are more than happy about the increasing demand for space.
StorageTek, with headquarters in Louisville, Colorado in the U.S., is one such storage provider eager to turn the information glut into a profitable business. Usui, an IBM-groomed veteran storage expert, said IDC, a research firm, projected that the storage market is growing at between 80 percent and 150 percent annually. The main driving force behind the fast-growing storage market is, of course, the Internet. Emails, digital contents, wireless communications and data warehousing demand better, larger storage space, Usui said. The advance in the info-tech business is also driving up the average investment needed for storage.