IMC's Portable And Deliverable Storage
Sometimes IMC does not store customer data in an offsite electronic archive or retain a backup copy offsite. Instead, we transfer a copy of the converted archive to the customer by alternate electronic means. Of course, we can deliver data on CD, DVDs, tape, etc., and the customer can access the media using its own technology or we can provide the access technology.
But if the customer wants us to download large volumes of data to it after conversion, we can also transmit it to them via broadband networks because our network bandwidth allows sufficient data transfer speeds.
This is not viable, however, if the customer's network link to our VPN is bandwidth-challenged, as is often the case. Many customers can't justify spending $10,000 to $15,000 a month an OC3 leased line with that kind of transfer capability. A network with insufficient bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, and transfer simply takes too long to be viable.
For very large volumes of stored data where this is the case, we store, transport and then download the data onto the customer's onsite LAN from high-speed portable storage devices such as ATA drives.
These are inexpensive devices that keep down customer costs, enable high transfer rates and can scale as customer needs dictate by just adding devices to the customer's infrastructure – that is, if they choose to keep the data on those devices instead of transferring it to more robust in-house storage.