Over just the past five years, businesses in the United States have witnessed as staggering surge in data production. According to IDC, between 2018 and 2023, the total amount of data produced by businesses has increased 324%. IDC also reports that US businesses produce 2.5 exabytes of data every day. By 2025, the total data stored by businesses is excepted to reach 175 zettabytes. It’s numbers like these that confirm what we already suspected: Scalable data storage matters.
Here’s Why Data Storage Matters
Scalability is crucial in a data storage solution for several reasons. First, data growth is inevitable. We live in a data-driven world. In healthcare alone, wearables, medical records, and genomics research have driven a 450% data surge in healthcare (Source: Health Catalyst). Every click, swipe, and purchase generates valuable customer data, contributing to a 200% increase in this category (Source: Adobe). The point? Data volumes are constantly expanding. Regardless of the drivers of this growth, the data doesn’t stop. Not employing a solution that scales to meet the need can cripple an organization’s viability.
Next, you need to future-proof your technology investment. Technology purchases involve significant upfront costs. Choosing a scalable solution ensures you’ll be ready as your needs evolve. Investing in a system that can adapt to your future requirements eliminates the need for costly rip-and-replace when your data outpaces your storage capabilities.
Thirdly, scalable storage systems allow you to add resources (like storage units or servers) incrementally, as your data demands increase. This prevents over-provisioning and its cost overruns and waste. It optimizes resource allocation which can lead to significant cost savings.
Additional benefits come via organizational agility and responsiveness. Scalability enables you to react quickly to changing business needs. Whether you’re experiencing a sudden surge in data due to a marketing campaign or need to store new data types for analytics, you can seamlessly scale your storage up or down to accommodate these fluctuations.
Additional Considerations
Remember this: As your data volume grows, a non-scalable system can become sluggish and prone to performance bottlenecks. By investing in scalability, you can distribute data across additional resources. This ensures consistent performance and data availability even with increasing demands.
One more thing: With the advent of data-driven technologies like AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics, requires significant storage and processing capabilities. A scalable solution can readily deliver the required goods, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve.
To Summarize
Here are a few more statistics to drive the point home:
- Cloud storage: The need to store and manage massive data volumes has driven a 300% increase in cloud storage adoption by US businesses. (Source: Statista)
- Retail: E-commerce boom and customer personalization have fueled a 700% data growth in the retail sector over the past five years. (Source: Forbes)
Scalability is not just a nice-to-have feature; it’s a critical requirement for any data storage solution. Researching and investing in the right storage infrastructure can be a game-changer for your business. You’ll be more adaptable to your ever-growing data needs, better optimize costs, and more empowered as you leverage valuable data insights for future growth. If you agree that scalable data storage matters, PKA can help. Reach out today to start the conversation.