In the past few years, the word zettabyte slipped in to our collective lexicon  The demand for data storage is ever increasing and stewards of byte upon byte of valuable information—from health and financial records to personnel files and intellectual property—organizations are seeking ways to manage the growth of this data in cost-effective and energy-efficient ways.

As worldwide data rolls toward multiple zettabytes of information annually and as complexities in information sharing mount, business leaders have set new expectations for IT infrastructures to be more agile than ever, with zero tolerance for downtime or for disruptions in application performance or availability. Big, important data needs a home—a center—one that’s safe, secure, compliant and reliable.

To address the new paradigm of data demands, Iron Mountain today announced the unveiling of expanded data center facilities and services to meet a growing need from our customers. Building on the 10-year-old business based in our facility in Western Pennsylvania, Iron Mountain now offers colocation data center space in our famed “Underground”, as well as additional data center locations.

Our new offering provides both wholesale data center space and retail colocation services. The Iron Mountain Wholesale Data Center provides dedicated, secure space for all or part of an organization’s data center operations and offers a range of services, including engineering and design, development and construction and ongoing facility operations and management. For organizations that do not require a large, dedicated footprint, Iron Mountain’s Retail Colocation solution provides a shared environment with scalable floor space and reliable power and cooling.  

Want a better look? Here are a few of the key offerings:

• Iron Mountain’s premiere underground data center facility, located 200 feet beneath rolling countryside in a former limestone mine. The facility spans 145 acres and provides one of the most physically and environmentally secure colocation infrastructures available.
• You can move your operations to a secure, compliant, and highly resilient underground facility that removes the adverse effects of natural disasters and is strategically located away from fault lines and flood zones. 
• Harness the mine’s natural 52-degree temperatures and heat absorbing limestone walls, floor, and ceiling to run an energy-efficient operation.  
• Hot air dissipated from the data center is cooled with geothermal properties and then redistributed via ceiling ducts.
• An innovative suite of data center services are available at all Iron Mountain data center locations to provide installation and on-going technical support services.

 For a visual tour of our data center services, visit: www.ironmountain.com/datacenterservices

You must expect and demand more from your data center colocation partner. Your data deserves it. The idea of a data center colocation provider simply supplying ample power or a secure building doesn’t fit today’s realities. What’s expected now is not only a partner that supplies the power and facilities, but one that delivers the full range of services required to build a successful, highly scalable data center environment that satisfies today’s requirements for agility, availability and cost efficiency.

So, as you are thinking about whether to build a new data center, or expand or consolidate current ones, what does this changing paradigm mean for your data center colocation choice and how should it shape your decision-making?

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According to InformationWeek’s State of Storage Survey, only 38 percent of businesses have disaster recovery processes and test them regularly. Preparing for a major catastrophe – like Hurricane Sandy - is an excellent protective measure, but what about the smaller incidents that happen almost every day around the nation? From a hard drive failure to tripping a circuit, a business could lose data in any number of unanticipated ways.

Common issues that crop in a business may be easy to overcome, but there is still productivity loss when a single computer goes down for an hour. Investing in a reliable tape backup solution allows a business to rest easy and know that it can return to operations swiftly. These services go hand-in-hand with other disaster preparedness steps, including testing hardware regularly and performing frequent system maintenance.

While business continuity planning is a proactive process, it can be easy to overlook simple problems in favor of preparing for larger disasters. How many times does an earthquake cause an issue for businesses in upstate New York? However, that same business may experience human error or have a computer go down because of a frayed cable on a regular basis.

The best way to ensure that a business can resume operations after any emergency, big or small, is to move your backup data offsite. These services keep data safe without driving up IT costs or overwhelming employees with time-consuming backup processes. By entrusting data protection to an offsite service, a business has the peace of mind that its mission-critical information will be stored in a reliable, organized and compliant manner that keeps it safe from unauthorized access, power failures and major disasters alike.

Regardless of location, industry or the probability of suffering from a disaster, a business should protect its resources any way it can to ensure the best chances of recovery. Unexpected crises can quickly take down even a well prepared business, so ensuring that it can bounce back is vital to operations.

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It is incredibly important for businesses to take steps to prepare for these and other natural disasters. Thinking everything through and putting a formal plan in writing can help.

Audit Yourself

One of the keys to developing a successful, thorough disaster preparation plan is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, as Columbus Business first contributor Robert Shenton recently noted. No two businesses are the same. Each has its own equipment, its own processes and its own data.

This last point is particularly crucial. Think to yourself: What data can I go without for a prolonged period? What data do I need to regain access to immediately? Odds are, there will be a significant distinction between the two.

For example, a business that specializes in online retail is going to need to have its website and order processing software up and running as soon as possible following a power outage or other disaster. Its sales logs from the past year, on the other hand, are not nearly so vital, and access to them can wait.

Making the Plan

Once the business has gone over its assets, strengths and vulnerabilities, it’s time to plan. What should every employee do in the event of an emergency? How should the company’s data be stored? The answers to these questions will depend primarily on the internal audit. Data that is absolutely essential to the day-to-day functioning of the business should be backed up and stored in such a way that it remains easily and quickly accessible. A cloud-based data protection solution may be best in this case.

For information that is less immediately important, however, offsite tape storage may be best. Tapes can store massive amounts of information securely, and a professional data protection firm can execute a tape-based storage strategy effectively and smoothly.

Write it Down

This is a crucial step that far too many organizations overlook. According to Shenton, a formal, written disaster preparation plan can help to educate employees about how to behave in the event of an emergency, improving response time and safety precautions.

Additionally, writing down ideas often helps to focus thinking. By actually typing up a strategy, a business owner may see previously unnoticed flaws in the plan that can now be corrected.

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A recent Wired report explained that you may need to take squirrels really seriously as a threat to data center systems, and ultimately the safety of enterprise information.

Squirrels are commonly known as masters of mischief. They have this tendency to run out into the road and not decide which direction they are actually going until they create problems with drivers. On some college campuses, they are known for running around with discarded cafeteria food and dropping acorns on unsuspecting bystanders who happen to be in their way. They also like to chew through things. Actually, they’ll chew through just about anything that happens to get in their way.

For data center managers, this can present a problem. To illustrate the nature of the incident, the news source turned to a Data Center Knowledge report detailing industry expert Mick Christian’s discussion on squirrel issues at the recent Velocity conference. Christian explained that squirrels have an attraction to electronics equipment that is especially problematic for IT, and he described an incident in which squirrels chewing through cabling and other electronics hardware took out half of a major data center.

A Level 3 Communications study found that 17 percent of all of the company’s cable damages were caused by squirrels, Wired explained. The problem with squirrels chewing through cables is that you can’t just bring in a backup server and make things right again. You actually have to find the specific cable that was chewed, run a new line through the system, terminate that cable and make sure everything is configured properly before the data center gets running again.

To successfully combat the risks created by squirrels, you have to have an effective remote backup and recovery solution in place so data remains available, even if your primary data center loses its connection to the power grid or internet. There are a few ways to accomplish this, but offsite tape storage is emerging as the best solution because the technology is extremely reliable, can hold large quantities of data, is much faster from a performance perspective than in the past and offers a cost-effective option for businesses.

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About a year ago, after a heavy rainstorm, some of my neighbors had flooded basements.  That day, I asked myself a “Lorri Question.” What would I take from my home in the unfortunate event of a flood or some other natural disaster?  Of course my family and our pet would be on the very top of the list.  But what material possessions would I take?  My answer was pretty simple; I would grab as many pictures as I could carry — pictures of my children as infants and that special one on the mantel of my parents on their honeymoon.  I could probably get more copies, but why risk losing anything so important.

As an IT professional, you probably ask yourself a similar question every time you listen to a weather report.  With floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and all kinds of other natural disasters looming, it is smart to think about your critical assets and the data you need to continue operations. If floods or hurricane winds damage your office or data center, vital information could be lost and your organization crippled.

Being prepared for such an event is vital to your business continuity and disaster recovery plan. A smart strategy is to protect your data with an offsite tape backup solution.  With a backup strategy focused on offsite tape storage, your organization can rest assured knowing that information will remain safe, even if offices are damaged by a natural disaster.

With an effective disaster recovery strategy, you can save your provocative questions for dinner parties and not the office.  By the way, if you think of any more good questions, let me know.

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A recent slideshow put together by technology news provider eWeek shed light onto exactly what has keep tape at the forefront of the enterprise sector.

It’s Inexpensive

Compared to some of its newer challengers, tape storage has proven to be among the most inexpensive. According to eWeek, linear tape-open-5 (LTO-5) large workload format can cost as much as 15 percent less than disk counterparts. And traditionally, tape’s total cost of ownership (TCO) can run two to five times less than that of virtual tape libraries, the news provider noted.

It’s Easy to Manage

Nearly all IT professionals out there have experience with tape, which is a product of its popularity level during the past six decades. And eWeek noted that a single IT administrator is now capable of managing about 100 terabytes of disk data, which is the equivalent of numerous petabytes of information stored on tape. With the big data crunch worsening, companies need to management as much data as possible.

It’s Reliable

In this age of IT disasters – both natural and man-made – companies need a data backup and recovery solution that is up to the task. Tape has more than proven that point on multiple occasions. Adding offsite tape storage to any tape-based data backup and recovery plan will ensure that company information remains protected, and can be quickly restored, following a natural disaster, data corruption, or any of the other serious threats that impact data on a daily basis.

It Can Handle More Data

According to the report, disk drives now max out at about 4 terabytes of data. That’s nothing compared to the 5TB that tape is now equipped to handle (10TB compressed, eWeek said). That’s a good example of how tape has remained a preferred media to store archival data. As data volumes have climbed, innovations for tape technology have allowed it to keep up with changing demands and, ultimately, remain a strong enterprise storage solution.

It’s Best for Long-Term Archiving

No other technology has challenged tape’s reign quite like cloud computing has during the past several years. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the cloud remains largely untested, especially when it comes to the long-term storage and archiving of data. For that, tape remains No. 1. No other technology has proven as effective for long-term storage as tape archiving has. By storing the data needed for the long haul on tape, companies can rest assured that it will be protected and compliance requirements are satisfied.

It’s Still Making Money

Citing figures released by research firm IDC, eWeek noted that the market for tape technology topped $2.2 billion last year. And that only accounted for the market for tape drives, library automation and open-system media. Factor in the areas of additive software ecosystems and proprietary enterprise media, and revenue generated by the technology could be much more than that. And it will only grow as the amount of information companies store on tapes increases.

It’s plain to see why the industry continues celebrating tape’s birthday, instead of the funeral that some talking heads have predicted for years. The technology remains the enterprise sector’s top option for backup, recovery and archival data, and seems it will continue to do so for years to come.

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When it comes to disaster recovery, offsite tape archiving is just like the Spurs. Every year analysts start talking about disk-based storage and solid state drives and cloud computing, tallying the sexy new technologies that can revolutionize how businesses backup and recover data. And every year, like clockwork, tape remains a critical player in the corporate disaster recovery landscape. Like the Spurs, there are plenty of good reasons why tape continues to stand the test of time.

Fundamentals are just one reason to trust tape. The Spurs have a reputation as a solid, fundamentally sound basketball team that simply goes out and manages to win games through a combination of Tim Duncan bank shots and Manu Ginobli 3′s. Similarly, tape is a fairly simple technology. You put data on a magnetic tape and it sits within its case for years on end without any sort of meaningful decay. Tape has been built on the same foundational technology year in and year out, but no other solution has been able to come in and usurp its ability to be the best at what it does.

Take cloud computing. It has stormed onto the scene, getting all of the media hype and attention as the disaster recovery solution of the future, offering automatic backup options, rapid recovery and other capabilities that make it a prime option for businesses. But working in the cloud effectively requires an extremely advanced network connection, the ability to store data in a system where its physical location is incredibly difficult to track and a willingness to deal with the security, reliability and availability risks that come with the cloud. Essentially, the cloud is an exciting up-and-coming challenger, but it is not really ready to seriously threaten the established technology when it really matters.

Resiliency is another key attribute of tape storage. Earlier this year, scoring machine Manu Ginobli missed an extended period of time with injury. Tim Duncan has sat out entire games to rest his knees during the lockout-shortened season and plenty of experts have questioned if these old bodies really have what it takes to keep up with young athletic teams. But still, they keep on winning. The team has depth and a general sense of resiliency, knowing that if it plays its game it can beat most, if not all, of its competitors.

Similarly, tape can withstand more disruption than many current storage technologies. Its inherent design is incredibly reliable and it uses such a small amount of power that it is at minimal risk of damages in that area. Comparatively, hard drives, which are fundamental in disk-based storage, are built around precision parts that allow disks to spin more than 7,200 times per minute. Those parts have a tendency to wear out fairly easily, often in just a couple of years, making them a major risk when it comes to resiliency.

The value of the “older” players is their experience and game savvy.  While they obviously have brought on new players with stronger knees to round out the roster.  Similarly, adding tape to the emerging technologies of disk and cloud is a smart game plan.

While flashy disaster recovery solutions may catch your eye, it is often best to stick with the established tool that has been working for years and is still equipped to meet enterprise needs.

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Business Insider recently highlighted 14 of Franklin’s lessons for getting what you want out of life. Taking a closer look, we realized that these same pieces of advice can be applied to data backup and recovery as you and your company can use them to kick-start a strategy.

Below are just a few of those lessons and how you can apply them to a data protection program.

Be Prepared

That’s some advice that all companies can live by when engaging in offsite tape storage and other means of backup. You should be looking at all threats to your enterprise’s data and crafting a protection program that addresses and works to prevent each one. As new issues arise, add their solutions to the plan.

Don’t Procrastinate

As they say, there’s no time like the present. The best time for you to initiate a backup and recovery program is long before an IT disaster strikes, certainly not after the damage is done. Waiting until it’s too late can have some serious implications for your company and operations in the form of data loss.

Know Yourself

How can you expect to prepare for and mitigate the risks of data loss if you don’t know what information you have stored? When developing a data protection program, run an audit of information produced and stored by the company, making sure to note the data that is most important or sensitive and should take priority.

Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes

This one can get dicey. Of course, you’ll want to avoid mistakes at all cost as the damage done by data loss can be immense. However, what really matters is that you learn from past mishaps and use that insight to prevent similar situations in the future. A real tragedy would be to suffer similar incidents two times or more. As they say, fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.

Don’t Fear Change

The enterprise sector is a volatile one, with changes cropping up all the time. Instead of shying away, however, your company should be focused on meeting new developments head on. Take the cloud, for example. Adoption seems inevitable, so why not add it into your backup and recovery strategy by pairing hosted technologies with tape storage use for a hybrid program?

Don’t Give Up

No one ever said that protecting data was a low-stress job. Threats and risks lurk around every corner, forcing the IT department and tech pros to be constantly on their toes to ensure that the information colleagues depend on is available as often as possible. That’s why you can never give up and must remain ever vigilant in fighting the good fight.

Keep Growing

As we said, enterprise data is always changing, and, for the most part, that means growing. As a result, your data protection practices must grow along with trends. A backup and recovery strategy is not a one-time deal where you can implement it once and forget about it. Constant tweaks and updates are needed to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

We can be certain that Franklin didn’t have the protection of information in mind when he came up with his life lessons, but by taking them into account you can be sure that data will be available when you need it.

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Today was office clean up day.  It is a day to clean out files, get rid of old electronics or e-waste and purge, purge, purge.  Hence then need to wear jeans.   We can also bring in documents from home.  Iron Mountain encourages employees to “practice what we preach” by allowing us to bring in sensitive personal documents to shred.

On the heels of tax day, I brought in all our old taxes to shred.  I also brought in my collection of financial statements, bills, medical reports and other documents with personal identifiable information.  I go so far as to shred all the solicitations that come in the mail.  When in doubt – shred all.  We have a home office shredder and it’s my husband’s job to shred.  But after the 3^rd paper jam and 10 minutes of cursing, I save it all for office clean up day.   One way to keep a marriage strong!

Along with shredding documents, our IT Department participates with a drop-off station for all kinds of decommissioned assets or e-waste.  They take the following:

• Power Packs, Network Cables, Wires, Cords, Mice
• DeskJet Printers
• Laptops
• Desktops
• CRT or Flat Screen Monitors
• Mobile Phones, Blackberry’s, Pagers, and other mobile devices
• Docking Stations
• Hard Drives
• Keyboards/Mouse

I have one file drawer that I call “technology.”  This is a collection of old electronics that I may need – one of these days.  Well, that day never did come, so I am getting rid of it all!  I filled a box with; 2 keyboards, 2 power adapters, 1 mouse (I upgraded to wireless), 1 docking station and various cables.  I followed the instructions and brought my box to the collection area.  As I exited the elevator, I was faced with a mountain of old, decommissioned assets – that we call e-waste.

How could one company collect so much e-waste?  With the growth of data and an ever increasing selection of technology to access and store that data – it should not be a surprise.  Your organization may have a similar mountain of e-waste.

IT Departments will continue to buy new technology but the issue lies in how they dispose of the old.  The EPA estimates that there is 2.37 million tons of e-waste ready for disposal and only 25% is recycled.  The rest sits in landfills.  Think about your company’s sustainability objectives and Corporate Social Responsibility initiates.  Then recycle responsibly.

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Like most technology junkies, my husband’s mantra is “the newer the better.”  Hence, the lines that wrap around the block to buy the latest iPhone or iPad.  Apple sold 3 million iPad 3’s during the launch weekend.  For some people, the iPad is more than a computer, more than a gadget — it’s a love affair.

So what happens to the iPad 1 and 2’s that have been replaced?   I bet that most get handed down to friends and family.  Better question, what happens to all the relic desktops or those old 8 pound laptops?  We have a few sitting in our attic — along with old printers, external drives and all kinds of electronic junk.  We keep them for two reasons.  First, the hard drives have personal information and need to be securely destroyed.   Second, we want to recycle responsibly and not just add to the already huge pile of electronic waste or e-waste that is overflowing landfills.

My attic is no different than the storerooms and closets of most IT Departments. As your organization upgrades to the “latest and greatest,” what happens to all the old? E-Waste is an issue across the globe and worth the time to investigate an environmentally safe alternative to landfills or incineration. E-Stewards Certified Recyclers will recycle electronics and reuse the materials.  It is kind of like milk bottles that end up as decks or Adirondack chairs.  I know I would feel better if my family’s old desktop was recycled and the material used in that new iPad.  I am sure that you would feel that same.  We’re not going to stop buying new electronics but we can stop dumping e-waste.

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