Storage Effect

Increased competition in wifi and broadband is accelerating the need for storage

I’m writing this in a Caribou Coffee shop, a surprisingly large chain in Minneapolis that’s matched Starbucks store-for-store here.  Until recently, I would have had to get a passcode from the barista for free wifi - for an hour.  Now, it’s straight to the web, no hotel-esque stop at Caribou’s corporate web page. All free, all the time.

While I greatly appreciate the gesture, it’s no coincidence that Minneapolis just turned on its city-wide wifi service.  Not to mention the local cable company’s launch of the nation’s highest speed cable broadband package at 50Mbps.  Competition is a wonderful thing!

What does this have to do with storage?

If you’ve read my blog much, you already know the connection.  The easier it is for consumers to access content, the more they will keep.  And the more they will be offered. And so on.

There’s no slowdown in sight.  Frankly, I think we’re still in first gear.  Solutions that scale and simplify management of vast vats of content - for you and me, as well as for a Google or Amazon - will win big in the next few years. 

Content storage is now a core need for business

For solution providers, in between the consumer and the corporation there is a desperate need to do “business content” right.  For companies of all sizes it’s no longer about IT, it’s about satisfying customers.  What a chance to be a hero!

Are you seeing this in your company or home?  How’s your access?