Features - Enterprise Data Insights:

SURVEY: COMPUTER USERS EXPECT DATA TO GROW

Almost two-thirds of respondents to a survey by an Orlando computer data storage company said they expect their data to grow between 200 percent and 500 percent in the next two years.

Qualstar Corp, a manufacturer of automated tape storage solutions, said it worked with computer business magazine publisher Corry Publishing to conduct an online survey of Corry's subscribers Oct. 7 through Oct. 18. The companies said respondents chose tape as their computer backup or archive by a four-to-one margin, citing reliability, price and performance as their reasons for selecting what critics say is a technology outmoded by writable compact discs.

"There is considerable confusion in the market today because of competing technologies and multiple formats, and that is reflected in the survey results," said Bob Covey, Qualstar vice president of marketing.

Tape appears to be a preferred mode of storage, according to the survey, because of the large size of data stores. Of those surveyed, 38 percent said they store more than one terabyte. By contrast, a regular compact disc can hold just 700 megabytes of information.

"An enterprise storage solution requires a range of supporting technologies, with tape playing an integral role," said John Clifton, Corry Publishing group publisher of Integrated Solutions and Business Solutions magazines. "The survey validates the message of our magazines, demonstrating that our readers are educated and knowledgeable about tape's importance in the storage marketplace."