According to a recent report by Sebastian Anthony of ExtremeTech.com, it is quite important to understand the limitations of hard drives. For more than 30 years, computing has relied heavily on disk drives for storage and learned the hard way that they don’t last forever.

We too try to educate our clients on the limitations of disk drives. Thankfully, there is a study that has been completed by Backblaze, an online backup company that has undertaken a monster four-year study.

To gauge the longevity of disk drives, Backblaze kept 25,000 disk drives constantly online for the entirety of four years.

As the above chart indicates, used hard drives like Seagate and Dell enter into three phases. The first is 1.5 years in which the failure rate is 5.1 percent. The second phase is another 1.5 years that sees the failure rate drops to 1.4 percent. And the third leads to a 11.8 percent increase in failure rate.
This means that nearly 20 percent of all hard drives fail within four years. The study further revealed that drive deaths between 18 and 36 months of purchase tend to be caused by random failures. Those that fail beyond the fourth year tend to fail because they simply wear out.

What does this mean for your data? Without a doubt, it points to the importance of backing up your data!

At Big Data Supply, we strongly suggest considering tape as a means for longterm data storage. With the advancements in LTO tape and LTO data libraries of late, you have the power to secure your data for 30 years and more -- while saving yourself from short-term data failures that require immediate recovery.

Benefits of tape for long-term storage include (but aren’t limited to):

- It’s less expensive than online disk storage.
- It’s reliable/stable and can be stored for decades.
- The newest version of LTO tape (LTO-6) holds up to 6.25 TB compressed data.
- Tape can be recycled and reused.

Have questions about hard drives, tape, data storage in general, or you want to sell your old Western Digital hard drive or an old HP hard drive? We can help!

Give our offices a call or drop us an e-mail, and we’ll get you on the right track!

Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633

In today’s world, data destruction is a very serious matter. With the numerous amounts of data that come the the form of client information, financial transactions, photos, videos, and other personal information, organizations and individuals are always at risk.

If you’ve been trying to discern how your going to manage data destruction policies and procedures, it’s important that you read further:

1. There are three methods for data destruction to consider including overwriting, degaussing, and physical destruction. Overwriting includes covering up old data with new data. Degaussing is the process of purging data by erasing the magnetic field of an LTO or other type of tape. And physical destruction consists of shredding or incinerating disk or tape.

2. Degaussing data tape media comes with multiple benefits. At Big Data Supply, one of our fortes is degaussing used tape and recycling it so that it can be used again. Not only do we think this is the environmentally friendly way to go about it, our clients earn cash when they sell used tape via our buyback program. (Please note not all tapes can be degaussed in the traditional manner, media with servo track will be damaged and be unusable if not processed through our proprietary degaussing equipment. Call or email for details.)

3. Failure to properly erase can be very costly. There are numerous organizations that find themselves in financial, legal, and regulatory trouble when they fail to develop strict data destruction policies and procedures. It isn’t at all uncommon for both disk and tape (full of data) to be thrown in dumpsters or stored out in the open. It’s vital that you fully understand the specifics surrounding industry regulations for data storage, disposal, and destruction and develop a system for assuring new and old data is always secure.

4. Data creation leads to massive amounts of e-waste. It’s quite easy to overlook all of the devices (disks, tape cartridges, tape libraries, etc.) that build up over time as data is created and stored. Don’t forget the role that you and/or your organization plays in creating e-waste. As mentioned above, by degaussing tape and recycling your data storage equipment, you have the power to keep perfectly good used technology out of landfills.

Our team would be more than happy to consult with you on options for strategically destroying your old data and recycling your used data storage technologies.

5. Data destruction doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The recycling movement has been slow to take off within the U.S. largely because people think the process takes too much time and effort. This is where the Big Data Supply team comes in. We’ll set up a plan to make the process very easy. For example, we’ll pay you for your used data storage equipment, arrange for shipment, and completely purge any and all data you’ve accumulated over time.

We Buy Used Tape, Recycle Your Media! Give us a call or e-mail us to get started and/or answer all of your questions surrounding data destruction!

Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633

Have a used tape library that you don’t know what to do with? The good news is that there are some excellent options out there for making a bit of cash when you sell used tape libraries.

At Big Data Supply, we offer top dollar for used tape libraries regardless of brand. Whether you have STK/SUN/Oracle, Dell, Compaq, Quantum (and all others), we’ll make sure that you get the best deal possible.

In case you are having doubts about selling one or more used tape libraries, we hope the following will help you make the right decision:

1. Selling Used Tape Libraries Opens Up Opportunities for Others

When you sell used tape libraries, this provides other organizations and individuals the ability to save a tremendous amount of money. Purchasing brand-new equipment is quite expensive, thus a growing number of up-and-coming firms are investing in refurbished technologies.

You also have the opportunity to buy used tape libraries if you are seeking an equipment upgrade.

2. Keeping Used Equipment Out of Landfills Rocks

The danger of holding on to technologies that you are no longer using is that one day they may end up in a landfill, rather then being proactively utilized. If you sell used tape libraries now, it is very possible they can quickly be refurbished and put into use.

An used unit gathering dust doesn’t do anybody a bit of good. Plus, each month or year that goes by is less cash in your pocket.

3. Joining the Technology Recycling Movement Makes a True Difference

It’s a wise decision to invest a bit of time and energy into a recycling program that can benefit both your organization and the world around you. When you recycle your tape library, you can let the world know what you are doing and inspire others to do the same.

Where Big Data Supply Comes Into the Picture
Not only do we purchase tape libraries, we buy new and used LTO tape, disk array, peripherals, and the list goes on.

We invite you to call or e-mail our offices with your questions. If you are wanting to sell one or more tape libraries, please provide as much detail as possible and we’ll get a quote to you as soon as possible!

If you’ve found yourself wondering what you are going to do with telecom equipment that isn’t being used and/or hasn’t been used for quite some time, you’ll be happy to know there are proactive steps you can take to getting rid of it.

First and foremost, it is vital that you understand that you should never throw old telecom (or other electronics) into the dumpster. When you do this, it usually is either sent to landfills or ends up being incinerated. Both of these options lead to the world becoming a more toxic environment.

Secondly, you should know that you may be able to sell used telecom equipment. At Big Data Supply, we purchase excess new and used telecom equipment. Tell us what you’ve got and we’ll provide a quote for workable equipment that can be refurbished and ready for use again.

Regardless of brand or model, we purchase new and used telecom and networking gear including (but not limited to) Cisco, Avaya/Lucent, NEC, Toshiba, Nortel, Siemens, Panasonic, Samsung, Ericcson, 3com, and more. Call or e-mail us with as much information possible on what you would like to sell, and we can get started.

There is much value in having your old telecom equipment purchased including:

1. You can sleep easier knowing you aren’t adding to the pile of e-waste that is growing throughout the world on a daily basis.
2. You can gain a substantial amount of cash that can be reinvested in your telecom or data storage infrastructure.
3. Other organizations or individuals can truly benefit from the cost savings when they purchase used telecom equipment.
4. Positive PR can result from your willingness to choose eco-friendly practices for disposing of equipment.

You can also sell used peripherals, hard drives, disks, LTO-tapes, disk array, and nearly any other pieces of IT equipment that can be recycled and reused.

For best practices within an organization, it is important that you set up a distinct set of rules and guidelines for the disposal of all high-tech equipment.

You can also keep our information on hand. We’ll make the process 100 percent painless!

As an organization’s data needs grow and evolve, it can be quite easy for a data storage system to become disorganized and disjointed. It is common for various departments to adopt different types of storage solutions (i.e. disk, tape, etc.), while failing to properly label and file data.

This makes it quite difficult to locate important data and transfer it from department to department.

To help you avoid the same trap, we have developed the following guidelines:

1. Take a Step Back and Analyze Your Needs

Analyze your current data infrastructure and make wise decisions as to how you need to reconfigure and upgrade your storage technologies and methodologies.

For example, if you are archiving a massive amount of images, videos, and data, LTO tape may be an excellent option for keeping costs more manageable.

2. Develop Companywide Practices Versus Departmental

It is quite costly when one department has one set of technologies and protocols and other departments have their own. In the long run, as you data storage needs grow by leaps and bounds, finding common ground between departments will most likely become much more expensive and time intensive.

3. Labeling is Key

If you are archiving data on tape, it is essential that you set up a specific methodology for custom labeling all tapes. Numerous companies have learned the hard way how costly it can be when important data archives are lost due to improper labeling.

At Big Data Supply, we are often asked by organizations to help make data migration and labeling more effective. We invite you to contact our team with your questions and needs.

Our team can also help you:

• Find ways to cut down the number of tapes you are storing in-house
• Save money on new and used tape, disk array, and other equipment
• Gain cash for old equipment you want to get rid of

Contact our team via email or phone and we can help you get started on cleaning up your data storage environment!