Digital preservation or backing up data for future access has been increasingly challenging for the past few years. While technology has advanced in a very fast pace in terms of storage capabilities, these advances are actually placing the data collected in the past at risk. The information gathered used technologies that are no longer used today. A good example is the data stored in a floppy disk. This type of storage device was very useful from mid to late 90s. Today, you’ll be required to purchase a separate hardware just to read a floppy disk. The common mass-storage device as of this writing is the portable hard drive but it can be easily replaced after a decade with a new hardware.
Aside from the threat of obsolescence, digital preservation also requires careful handling of the storage device and the system that keeps it accessible. There are two factors on handling the storage device – care of the hardware itself and the software that protects the hardware. A floppy disk, hard drive, CD and other devices used to store information have a lifespan and can even be destroyed if they were not handled according to specifications. They have to be carefully handled and stored in an ideal condition 24/7. The software part on handling data keeps these devices from possible attacks while checking incoming data for possible viruses.
This is the reason why many businesses opted to use cloud services to securely store their data. There are a handful of online companies known to store data in behalf of its users. This has actually been economical for many businesses and even consumers. They simply have to pay the annual fee rather than keeping up with the latest technology and actively preserve their data on storage devices. Although these multi-million companies still have to go through the same trouble of digital preservation, they have already showed their capability in securely preserving data in behalf of their clients.