Panasonic’s future-proof data archiving solution drives business advantage

First-of-its-kind blu-ray data archiver offers reliable data storage and cost-efficiency

In the Age of Big Data, the growing demands for storing and archiving data can be an expensive challenge as companies’ and public agencies’ information assets increase globally each year. As a response to the pressing needs on data archiving and management, Panasonic is introducing its blu-ray data archiver—a first-of-its-kind optical disc-based solution using proven technologies to dramatically extend the lifespan of stored data, improve compliance, and lower operating expenditure.

The need for more reliable and efficient storage systems is becoming more pressing as analysts predict that up to 45 zettabytes (ZB) of digital data will be generated over the next four years. In the Philippines, different industries, government agencies, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are relying more heavily on Big Data to understand competition, discern patterns, make better decisions, and enhance productivity.

The country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, which relies on centralized data, has leaned on the cloud to accelerate growth and gain competitive advantage. BPO is the fastest growing industry in the Philippines, seeing a growth rate of 17 percent so far this year. SMEs, which make up about 99.6 percent of Philippine enterprises, can likewise benefit from cloud computing, allowing them to have greater reach, speed, and flexibility in acquiring or serving customers.

“The growing demands for active, and long-term, archival storage present a number of challenges that can strain existing archival systems. Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver is uniquely positioned to address these challenges—from reliability, data integrity, cost, and environmental footprint—as compared to existing solutions,” said Hideo Yonenaga, General Manager, Storage Business Division, Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific.

Data archives are currently stored on either hard disk drives (HDDs) or tape-based solutions—technologies that tend to have relatively short lifespans and high energy requirements, leading to increased operating costs. Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver delivers reliable data storage that lasts five to ten times longer than either tape or HDD archives. This longer lifespan reduces electronic waste, and when combined with lower cooling needs and energy requirements, makes blu-ray archival more environmentally friendly than alternative storage solutions.

The Panasonic blu-ray data archiver’s large storage capacity caters to organizations that deal with high data volumes. Blu-ray archival storage is also a WORM (Write Once Read Many) medium, which makes it tamper proof and ideal for compliance.

* More energy efficient – Blu-ray archival systems require less power and run cooler.

* Lower per bit cost – Cheaper high-capacity storage that lasts longer, removing the need for costly data migration.

* Greater reliability – No physical wear on the storage medium means fewer failures, while still supporting best-in-class practices such as RAID 5, 6, and WORM.

* Longevity with a lifespan of more than 50 years – Eliminates wastage and landfill required to get rid of alternative storage mediums.

Plan B, a New Zealand-based provider of hosted infrastructure and business continuity services, has built the world’s first cloud-based archive-as-a-service technology on Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver.

Said Ian Forrester, Managing Director, Plan B Ltd, “Our new service makes blu-ray archival technology accessible to businesses of all sizes and allows them to securely access and manage their archive data in the cloud. Our as-a-service model eliminates capital expenditure while providing easy access, lower costs, scalability and reliable data storage now and into the future. This service model will not just be available in New Zealand but in Asia and Australia as well.”

Plan B’s Cloud Data Archive service, hosted on Panasonic’s blu-ray archival technology, is available directly from Plan B. For more information, please visit clouddataarchive.sg.