Distributed cloud storage solutions redefine the cloud to advance the future of data—sustainably and economically. They provide numerous compelling advantages over traditional cloud object storage. This blog post will explore what distributed cloud storage is, why CTOs need to consider adopting it, and the five strategic benefits it offers.
What is distributed cloud storage?
Distributed cloud storage leverages a network of geographically dispersed nodes to store data, rather than relying on centralized data centers. This decentralized approach uses underutilized storage capacity from tens of thousands of locations around the world, making it a cost-effective, efficient, and resilient solution.
Why CTOs need to adopt distributed cloud storage.
In today's digital landscape, businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive. Distributed cloud storage can help CTOs achieve these goals by offering:
- Enhanced data security and privacy
- Cost savings
- Improved performance and accessibility
- Greater scalability
- Environmental benefits
1. Reallocate a majority of your cloud storage budget.
One of the most significant benefits of distributed cloud storage is cost savings. By leveraging unused storage space around the world, providers can avoid the high costs associated with data centers and expensive hardware procurement. This results in lower operating costs and exceptional pricing for customers.
In addition to cost savings, enterprise-grade distributed solutions are global and provide high durability by default. There's no need to pay extra for multiple copies of data for durability or multi-region performance, as required by legacy cloud storage providers. This makes the return on investment (ROI) even more compelling.
Benefits:
- Save up to 90% on cloud object storage compared to solutions like AWS S3
- Allocate the saved budget to other critical areas to drive innovation and growth
2. Improve productivity and accessibility.
Performance is another key advantage of distributed cloud storage. Geographically dispersed storage networks can deliver more consistent, high transfer speeds compared to traditional cloud storage providers. When download requests are made, segments can be retrieved in parallel, and only a small portion of the segments are needed to reconstitute the objects. This makes distributed solutions incredibly fast and consistently fast, regardless of where the data is needed.
Benefits:
- Superior performance optimizes collaboration and end-user experience
- Eliminate the cost of duplicating and storing data for multi-region performance
- Simplify data management by avoiding multiple copies
3. Mitigate business continuity risks.
Reliable access to data is crucial for any enterprise data storage method. Disasters, outages, and threats like ransomware can cost businesses dearly. Distributed storage solutions significantly lower the risk of data loss or inaccessibility. By segmenting files after applying a replication factor and spreading them across thousands of storage nodes, many risks associated with traditional, centralized storage are mitigated.
Benefits:
- Enhanced security and privacy, as no single storage node holds enough information to reconstruct the data
- Node monitoring and automated repair mechanisms ensure data availability
- Access to data remains intact even if an entire region loses power or a data center is destroyed
4. Gain agility to expand capacity or region accessibility.
Distributed cloud object storage excels in providing seamless scalability. Unlike traditional storage, you can scale your storage dynamically without upfront investments. Adding storage capacity can happen virtually anywhere in the world, as there's no need to build or expand data centers. This ensures reliable access to data across regions and allows businesses to rapidly expand into new markets without increasing costs.
Benefits:
- Effortlessly store and access data as needed
- Address storage needs easily within a hybrid cloud mix
- Remove concerns about procurement, supply chains, and other issues that can delay growth
5. Get ahead of ESG initiatives.
Sustainability is an area where distributed storage shines. Many organizations are working to reduce their carbon intensity, and the IT department is often a focal point of this effort. Distributed cloud object storage can help reduce attributed carbon emissions dramatically. By extending the life of existing hard drives, using them more efficiently, and avoiding additional energy consumption, distributed storage supports environmental goals.
Benefits:
- Reduce the number of data copies needed for global performance and durability
- Avoid the construction, maintenance, cooling, or powering of new data centers
- Meet regulatory requirements for carbon emissions reporting and develop corporate plans to reduce them
Conclusion
Distributed cloud object storage offers numerous strategic advantages, including cost savings, improved performance, enhanced security, scalability, and sustainability. For CTOs and business leaders looking to stay competitive and drive innovation, adopting distributed cloud storage is a smart move.
Any way you analyze it, distributed cloud object storage is a valuable addition to your hybrid cloud mix. Start exploring the benefits today and see how it can transform your business operations.
Ready to learn more about distributed cloud storage? Read the CTO Guide.
