The IT industry is experiencing swift and profound changes, primarily driven by the progress in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data and the widespread adoption of 5G networks. Consequently, an immense volume of data is being generated, with experts predicting that storage requirements will soar to a whopping 200 zettabytes by 2025.

At the same time, the global dependence on digital infrastructure and the proliferation of cloud services has intensified the need for responsible practices in data storage, because sustainability has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond environmental considerations, impacting economic efficiency, social responsibility and long-term viability.

One of the primary reasons sustainability is critical to ICT storage is its significant environmental impact. Data centres, which house vast volumes of data that today’s businesses depend on, consume enormous amounts of energy to power as well as cool all the equipment they house.

As sustainability becomes a primary concern, and businesses grapple with the management of ever-increasing data volumes, a clear opportunity is arising for them to lower their carbon footprint, improve sustainability and save costs through the migration of less frequently accessed data (cold data) from hard disk drive (HDD) storage to modern tape storage.

Sustainable ICT storage can lead to substantial cost savings for businesses. The exponential growth of data that businesses in every industry are experiencing requires the continuous expansion of their storage capacity, which can be prohibitively expensive. By adopting more lower-energy-consuming storage options, they can streamline storage expenses and lower their overall total cost of ownership.

Importantly, the long-term viability and growth of the ICT sector depends heavily on sustainability practices. As regulations and consumer awareness regarding environmental issues heightens, businesses that fail to prioritise sustainability will end up facing the consequences, be they legal challenges or loss of reputation.

On the other hand, embracing sustainable ICT storage demonstrates a commitment to environmental stewardship and positions companies as forward-thinking and socially conscious, which is appealing to eco-conscious consumers and investors.

Substantially reducing carbon emissions

In a study titled “Accelerating green data centre progress with sustainable storage strategies”, analysts IDC conducted research to determine the environmental impact of transitioning a significant portion of enterprise disk storage capacity to tape storage.

The aim was to calculate the potential savings in terms of power consumption and carbon emissions. The study suggested a scenario in which 80% of archive data and 57% of replicated data, which would usually be stored on enterprise disk storage systems, was migrated to tape.

The findings were hard-hitting, indicating that such a migration strategy could lead to a substantial 43.7% reduction in annual carbon emissions between 2019 and 2030. To put this percentage into perspective, the analysts estimated that by moving long-term archive data to tape, society could avoid a cumulative 664 million metric tons of carbon emissions during that same time period. This equates to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by 144 million passenger cars, or the energy consumption of 80 million homes, in a single year.

Embracing sustainable storage practices could thus have a remarkable impact on reducing carbon footprints and contributing to a greener, more environmentally conscious future.

HPE StoreEver tape portfolio

With this in mind, the HPE StoreEver MSL tape portfolio offers a range of sustainable solutions that are ideal for businesses across all sectors. The range sets itself apart from its competitors through its ability to upgrade drive kits without incurring extra licensing fees.

This unique offering allows for cost-effective drive upgrades without the need to purchase additional modules or licences for the new hardware.

While comparing different vendor offerings based solely on the price tag of basic hardware might seem tempting, it is essential to consider the total cost by factoring in support and maintenance expenses. When evaluated holistically, HPE StoreEver systems often prove to be considerably more cost-effective to own and operate.

Compatible and secure

Moreover, because security is a top concern for all CIOs, all HPE StoreEver MSL systems are fully compatible with the HPE StoreEver MSL encryption kit. This self-contained encryption system provides simple yet highly secure safeguards for data at rest. Even if the tape were to fall into the wrong hands or be lost due to human error, data stored on HPE LTO-9 data cartridges remains uncompromised.

In fact, HPE StoreEver LTO-9 technology represents the latest addition to the legacy of HPE tape solutions, which have been safeguarding data for businesses of all sizes for over two decades. It stands as a testament to lasting innovation that businesses can rely on with confidence.

HPE StoreEver LTO boasts highly dense storage, making it an efficient solution for accommodating large amounts of data. Additionally, with a media life of thirty years, it ensures the longevity of stored data.

Also, the solution promises exceptional reliability, making it ideal for long-term data retention and easy access. Embracing such sustainable and reliable storage strategies directs businesses towards a more eco-friendly and efficient data management approach while contributing to their overall environmental goals.

A compelling opportunity

It is clear that businesses of every size and type are actively seeking ways to decrease energy consumption and with it their carbon emissions.

There is a compelling opportunity in the form of transferring inactive data or archive data to LTO tape using HPE StoreEver LTO, because this approach not only reduces data centre energy usage and operational costs, but also has several advantages in terms of managing inactive data.