In most organizations, information is becoming a highly valued commodity as it can help decision-makers make educated choices and drive business advancement. With this level of importance, it should be no surprise that companies are doing all they can to back up their files and ensure that they have an iteration available at all times. This will help support continuity efforts and enable management to guarantee that sensitive data is not lost. Resoundingly, optical storage has risen to meet these demands and has been adopted by numerous firms for its capabilities.

The benefits of optical storage
While CDs, DVDs and USB devices have mostly disappeared from the storage market, Blu-ray discs have become the media of choice for a number of businesses. Among these supporters are Sony and Mitsubishi who recently spoke at the Creative Storage Conference about the quality and applications of Blu-ray storage , Hollywood IT Society reported. Both organizations noted the amount of quality control they have with Blu-ray, stating that the media can stand up to their rigorous testing and continues to output optimal performance. The high-quality materials also help Blu-ray media withstand harsh conditions without losing stored data or harming the disc itself, saving significant costs in the long run. As these benefits become more apparent, more companies will look to adopt it for their own advantages.

“Long-term offline archive preservation is one of the most important usages of optical disc storage,” industry expert Ikuo Matsumoto told the source. “In addition, the new usage of optical storage, near-line storage for huge amount of data of data centers, have empowered companies like Facebook.”

Using optical media for long-term archival
When thinking of storing data, it’s important to consider what factors might be at play in the future. Could the media be destroyed by natural disasters or affected by malware? Forbes contributor Tom Coughlin noted that while long-term archival can be a challenge, by choosing the right storage system, decision-makers can ensure that their media lasts even under adverse environmental conditions. Sony, for example, sends their discs through testing in high temperatures, salt water, UV radiation and corrosive gas, but the products still last a minimum of 50 years, demonstrating the resilience of optical media. This means that even if a fire or flood may hit the company, data stored on Blu-ray discs will likely be recoverable.

In addition, Blu-ray media is more accessible than traditional tape. Tape-based storage can end up costing a lot after accounting for maintenance and media provisioning. Blu-ray can save money in the long-run as it has a considerably longer shelf-life than other options and requires less upkeep. With these benefits and the overall optimal performance, Blu-ray discs are expected to be around for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve been surprised at how often the term comes up during the discussion regarding professional optical disc,” Sony director of B2B media marketing William Cubelli​s said, speaking at the recent Creative Storage Conference. “It blows me away because we’ve seen optical disc storage work for a long time now.”