- Cutting 100 TB could save AWS customers $27,600 per year on storage
- Storage costs are rising as data centers face increased demand
- 62% of workers spend too much time searching for information
With artificial intelligence putting pressure on hardware supply, many have experienced rising cloud storage costs, but there is an even easier way for businesses to reduce costs without switching providers.
A new report from Crown Information Management has revealed that up to 50% of enterprise data goes unused, taking up valuable storage space that could otherwise be archived.
According to the data, simply deleting 100TB of data in the cloud could save the average AWS standard storage customer $27,600 per year in fees, a not-so-insignificant sum.
Unused Data Could Cost You Thousands of Dollars
Redundant, obsolete and trivial (ROT) information is to blame, which often fills cloud storage spaces with duplicate, obsolete or low-value data. ROT also clutters search results and slows down auditing: Three in five (62%) workers agree they spend too much time searching for information, according to Microsoft’s 2023 Workplace Trends Index.
With this in mind, a cleaner warehouse environment could also save workers valuable time, increase production and improve profitability.
Removing old data will not only help companies reduce costs and increase efficiency, but could also serve as an important contribution to reducing emissions. Data center electricity consumption is expected to more than double by 2030 at the current rate.
All that said, Crown acknowledged some data retention requirements that ultimately increase businesses’ storage costs, GDPR being one of them. “Take into account any limited legal exceptions, such as record keeping for archives, research or statistics in the public interest, and include any required safeguards,” the report details.
Crown also warns against excessive digitization: “Don’t scan everything.” Although digitization can reduce physical storage, it may not always be the best way to retain information.
Finally, the report advises companies to destroy what they don’t need… responsibly. This refers to the proper recycling of both paper waste and electronic waste.
“Most companies I consult with pay to store and protect information they don’t need,” concluded EMEA chief digital officer Tim Rushent. “By eliminating ROT, organizations not only save money: they reduce risk, improve productivity and reduce their carbon footprint.”
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