People are now more conscious of the digital storage they require. An average consumer thinks about the storage their device can allow and whether there’s room for expansion. They also think about how accessible that storage is, which could make or break their decision. In that respect, companies reflect on the needs of individual consumers. How and where do you get storage for your company?
Local Disk Space
A device comes with built-in or local storage, where items can be stored and accessed as long as the device is in use. A computer often has bigger storage than a mobile phone, although the kinds of files stored in each one also differ.
A regular computer, whether it’s an Apple or Windows product, needs space for the operating system and programs or apps installed into them. Their infrastructures have changed significantly that the experience of using a computer is now similar to using a mobile device, but the file sizes still do differ. A mobile phone will require less storage for its operating system and apps rarely need over 1GB of storage, unless they’re a game.
External Hard Drives
Computer storage can further be improved with the use of external hard drives. This is not just your memory stick blown up in size, however. A flash drive may keep anywhere from 1GB to 128GB worth of files, while an external hard drive can have 500GB (or even higher) of storage space.
The price of a 2TB hard drive today is surprisingly modest, which is a far cry from the age of expensive yet bulky computer setups with small disk space. Aside from the difference in storage size, the architecture of an external hard drive also differs from that of a flash drive.
The Cloud
Now, this is what everyone in Kansas City who knows anything in this generation is really interested in. Devices that cannot promise a bump in local storage make up for it through cloud storage. Business models have also emerged to offer cloud storage and applications and even outsourced IT services to those with specific needs.
Accessibility is the main draw of cloud storage, making files accessible wherever the user is, as long as they are online. Local storage does not require a person to be online to access their files. Then again, if your file is stored locally, it only exists in that one computer.
Cloud storage, though not physically accessible, is handy for collaborative jobs over long distances. An outsourced service, for instance, can use resources available halfway across the globe without needing to do anything complicated.
Certain apps are designed to work specifically with the cloud, whether they’re accessible for business-to-business transactions only or as an end product consumers can utilize. Most importantly, the cloud is the answer for those who are always on the go. There is nothing more essential for a busy employee than to have the ability to do their job wherever they are.
It’s easy to see how priorities have changed if you look at the preferred storage option today. With the cloud becoming a tool and a product in itself, everything can be managed anywhere.
