Optical Media is not Ready for Future Backup Needs

Storage devices and solutions have evolved over time, and legacy methods are no longer viable for today's businesses. Take optical media, for example. It was once a popular option for organizational and personal backups alike, but it's becoming a thing of the past for a variety of reasons. In an age when how you store your information can be critical to your success, you need to consider which storage method will prove to be the most reliable in the event of a disaster.

Phasing out

The role of optical media is quickly becoming obsolete in the face of advancing software technologies. This downfall can easily be seen by the fact that many devices are phasing out disc drives. CNET contributor Josh Lowensohn noted that Apple, in particular, was able to cut down the dimensions of its iMac in 2012 by 40 percent simply by removing the drive and leveraging new manufacturing technology. Other companies have followed suit to make thinner devices that are easier to handle and produce. In addition, many resources can be simply downloaded or based in the cloud. As disc drives become increasingly rare, it may be time to consider different storage options for your backups.

Optical drives are being phased out of devices.

Lower Availability of Quality Media

If you're using optical media, you're getting a lower quality solution that will quickly become outdated. Discs have become too small for today's storage standards and a backup of your entire computer infrastructure would require many discs to complete. If you have 1 terabyte of data, it would take over 212 DVDs to fully backup (assuming the discs can hold up to 4.7 GB), or 1,428 CDs (assuming they can hold up to 700 MB). That's a lot of discs, time and energy just to backup one system. 

In addition, according to UNESCO, many of the top leading disc brands actually come from a second party and are repackaged for sale. So not only are you going to be paying for the number of discs you need to use, but you may also be buying a solution that is subpar.

"The recordable CD and DVD- manufacturing industry has become a market place driven by narrow profit margins and large quantities," UNESCO stated. "A recordable CD or DVD manufacturer can manipulate the dye, reflective layer and the now expensive polycarbonate components to reduce price or control quality."

Easily damaged

Optical media can last a relatively long time, but only if it is cared for properly. Unfortunately, there are a number of different ways that disc media can be harmed. MakeUseOf contributor Tina Sieber mentioned that disc rot can be caused by ultra-violet damage, breaking down of disc materials and oxidation of the reflective layer. There are also a number of more common risk factors including scratches, high temperatures and dust. How many times have you gone to play a movie only for it to skip in specific sections? The same thing can happen to optical storage media because it's just not built to withstand disasters. If a fire, flood or tornado were to hit your business, your backup discs would likely be destroyed, meaning that you would not be able to recover.

Pursue data storage solutions

Businesses should not stick with something just because it worked in the past. As we've seen, disc drives are becoming legacy novelties and the media is just not as robust as organizations need it to be. Choose something more reliable for your backup storage media and pursue a comprehensive backup solution. With a package from NovaBACKUP, you're in full control over your data and can leverage the offering for any backup job, big or small. In addition, the entire data structure of your computer is available for restoration in the event that a disaster happens. This type of solution will give your business the robust capabilities you need for your backup efforts.

While optical media is a thing of the past in terms of backup mediums, more reliable backup solution packages are coming to the forefront to better support businesses and prepare for crisis situations.