Report: Storage moving to the cloud in 2011

As enterprise data needs continue to expand, a growing number of organizations will turn to cloud-based data storage solutions in 2011, according to a recent Computerworld report.

Approximately 15 petabytes of new data are generated every day, the report claimed. With volume growing so rapidly, storage solutions that are secure, scalable and easily accessible have become an urgent need.

Many companies are beginning to find traditional storage methods, such as local drives and servers, inefficient and expensive. According to the report, cloud services are stepping in to fill the gap, providing an alternative that is flexible and cost-efficient.

According to the report, private, public and hybrid cloud services are all growing in popularity. In 2011, the report predicts, cloud services will become a central method of storage for many companies.

While all three models offer considerable benefits, the report suggests private cloud services are likely to see the highest growth in 2011, due to their greater overall security.

Scalability and cost reduction are two key motivating factors in many companies' cloud adoption. According to a recent survey, approximately 49 percent of IT professionals view dynamic growth as a key cloud attraction.