How Long Should You Keep Your Historic Data?

To all intents and purposes, electronic data can be stored indefinitely.

For those who are pedantic, yes, we know that electronic media can deteriorate over time and it is sensible practice to ensure that multiple copies are taken from time to time to ensure that your data is residing on the latest media.

That’s also important because storage formats can change. File and database formats of 20 or 30 years ago may be difficult to restore and gain access to unless they have been converted to more up-to-date versions.

However, the fact that you could practically keep your data forever doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense to do so. Although storage is typically low-cost, it nevertheless involves a certain degree of periodic administrative overhead in order to maintain catalogues etc.

There are two real drivers in terms of answering that ‘how long’ question :

• Regulatory Requirements – certain types of business are required by law to store certain types of data for a minimum number of years. Transgress here and you could find yourself in deep trouble with the law. 

• Your operational business requirements. For example, historical data can be invaluable in terms of marketing campaigns and statistical analysis in support of product development. Scrapping all of your historical operational data at the end of a calendar year might not be a sensible use of it given it could generate so much more benefit through what’s called Data Mining.

Why not contact our Business IT Support Services for a discussion of what things such as Server Sentry’s Vault Care proposition might be able to do for you in this area? They may not be able to give you an in-depth definition of what the law requires by way of data archiving for your particular type of business but we can tell you what your technical and cost options are.