Over the past few years or so, data protection has trended towards the Cloud. But that doesn't mean tape is dead-far from it. Today's forward-thinking organizations needs to evaluate the risks, long-term costs and the respective strength and weaknesses of both tape and Cloud to decide which option better addresses their unique business needs.
Let's look at each in greater depth.
A Closer Look at Tape
Tape has been a tried-and-tested storage medium for years. However, because it has been around so long, some stakeholders are questioning whether or not it has run its course. Surely, they think, there must be some technology that offers faster access and recovery time and more efficient management.
And while there are more modern approaches to storage available, it doesn't mean that tape is any less effective. Tape remains in use by 90% of Fortune 500 companies, and 59% of organizations use it as their primary form of backup. In fact, usage actually increased by nearly 18% between 2014 and 2015, and chances are those numbers will continue to climb as data volumes grow-according Cisco, annual global IP traffic will pass the zettabyte ([ZB]; 1000 exabytes [EB]) threshold by the end of 2016, and will reach 2.3 ZB per year by 2020.
And it's not as if tape isn't continuing to evolve alongside growing storage demands either. The latest iteration, LTO-7, allows organizations to store up to 15 terabytes (TB) of compressed capacity, which is more than double that of the prior LTO-6 generation.
Additional benefits include:
Massive storage space. Tape stores up to 15 terabytes of data. Any organization with significant amounts of data ready for storage will find using tape is a far more affordable option than streaming into the Cloud.
Easy recovery. Tape's high capacity and portability make it easy to transport terabytes of data. In fact, thanks to linear tape file systems (LTFS), tapes are accessed like disk, while providing a lower cost mechanism to store multiple copies of accessible archived data.
Economical and reliable storage. Unlike other physical storage mediums, such as disk, tape is cheaper (average cost of $.01/BG), does not use power in storage and provides more reliable backup, recovery and archiving solutions.
Examining the Cloud
Cloud-based backup has faced its share of detractors, most of whom focus on security concerns and the expense of extracting data from the Cloud once put in. However, end-to-end encryption and the ability to automatically-and continuously-protect data as it's created make a safe Cloud a safe solution for many organizations.
Some key benefits of Cloud include:
Scalability. Cloud enables your organization to react faster to growing storage requirements without needing to make expensive changes to existing IT infrastructure.
Low management requirements. Using a cloud-based solution increases automation and enables you to perform continuous backups without requiring the physical handling of backup media, which is particularly attractive to small- and mid-sized IT departments with few staff.
So, Which is It?
In the end, which solution you use-whether it be tape, cloud or a combination thereof-depends entirely on the specific needs of your organization. For more information and for help on evaluating your storage choices, download the eBook Tape and Cloud: More Than a Marriage of Convenience.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Over the past few years or so, data protection has trended towards the Cloud. But that doesn't mean tape is dead-far from it. Today's forward-thinking organizations needs to evaluate the risks, long-term costs and the respective strength and weaknesses of both tape and Cloud to decide which option better addresses their unique business needs.
