Getting a grip on data growth

The data load growing within organizations today is astounding--800 megabytes per person each year. Given all the desktops, servers and handheld devices it's pretty safe to estimate there are trillions of bytes. But what good is all the information if you can't access what you need when you need it? Not very--and that's a primary reason IT leaders are being prompted to get a grip on accumulating data stores. A good starting place is the storage level, according to one expert, who says managing the physical and the logical aspects of data is the first step. The second is using analytical tools to find, sort and organize the piles for quick, efficient use and access. As he notes, while data access is critical, it's the actual use of the information that will make the difference for business today.

For more on dealing with data piles:
- read this BusinessWeek article