Dense Disks
Emerging 3-D holographic storage is poised to be the next great archival medium.
Most state and local government agencies involved in the archiving and preservation of large digital assets know a thing or two about data storage technology. But they may not know much about one emerging contender in the field: holographic storage.
The first commercial holographic storage products are slated for release in mid-2008. With first-generation products boasting write-once, read-many (WORM) characteristics, a lifespan of 50-plus years, initial disk capacities of 300 gigabytes per disk and a 20 megabyte-per-second data rate, proponents are aiming this technology at the long-term archival needs of government entities, highly regulated health-care and medical organizations, and professional media and film industries.
